Cover of The Thing About Leftovers

The Thing About Leftovers

by C.C. Payne

The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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

Grade range
Grades 4–7
Age range
Ages 9–12
First published
2016
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780698175754
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About this book

“This may capture the experience of children of divorce better than any book out there and deserves readership beyond a middle-grade audience. A winner!”–San Francisco City Book Review C. C. Payne intertwines heartache with humor and hope in a novel about navigating divorce and blended families, following your passion, and celebrating who you are. Fizzy is a good Southern girl who just wants to be perfect. And win the Southern Living cook-off. The being perfect part is hard though, since her parents’ divorced and everything in her life has changed.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on divorce and family; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

divorce · family · belonging

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Thing About Leftovers→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is The Thing About Leftovers?
The Thing About Leftovers is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign The Thing About Leftovers?
The Thing About Leftovers appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Thing About Leftovers banned in schools?
The Thing About Leftovers 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.
What themes does The Thing About Leftovers explore?
Central themes in The Thing About Leftovers include divorce, family, belonging. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

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 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.