Cover of The Terrible Two

The Terrible Two

by Mac Barnett · Grades 3–5

The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett is on US reading lists at grades 3–5. It appears on 8 lists: 8 book-award lists, across 7 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 3–5 · 1053 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781419716119). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Among the most widely assigned — 8 curriculum lists · 7 states

#89 most-assigned book in America — on school reading lists in 5 states (2026-07-13 study of 13,258 assignments).

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Sunshine State Young Readers AwardVirginia Readers' ChoiceVermont Golden Dome Book AwardVolunteer State Book Award+4 more

This page shows where The Terrible Two is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 3–5
Pages
1053
Reading time
about 19h 20m (est.)
First published
2024
ISBN-13
9781419716119

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (8)
Award won
  • Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award, 2019 (source: Goodreads)
On award reading lists

and 3 more in where it is taught

Catalog record
First published 2024 · 1053 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

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Where this book is recommended

Show 2 more awards & assignments

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Common questions

What grade level is The Terrible Two?
The Terrible Two is listed for grades 3–5. It appears on 8 state book-award lists across 7 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Terrible Two?
It takes about 19h 20m to read The Terrible Two (1053 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 1160 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Terrible Two?
The Terrible Two appears on reading lists for Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, Hawai'i Nēnē Award, Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards, and 5 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Terrible Two banned in schools?
The Terrible Two does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–5 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 8 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 7 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.

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