Cover of The Thing About Leftovers

The Thing About Leftovers

by C.C. Payne · Grades 4–7 · Realistic Fiction

The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne is on US reading lists at grades 4–7. It appears on 1 list: the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 9–12 · Grades 4–7. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780698175754). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:Kentucky Bluegrass Award

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.

Reading level at a glance

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

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-10; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 4–7. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on divorce and family; cited on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award.

Themes

divorce · family · belonging

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is The Thing About Leftovers?
The Thing About Leftovers is listed for grades 4–7. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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.

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 4–7 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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