What grade level is They Were Strong and Good?

They Were Strong and Good is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 1–4. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

How long does it take to read They Were Strong and Good?

It takes about 1h 15m to read They Were Strong and Good (68 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 75 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign They Were Strong and Good?

They Were Strong and Good appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is They Were Strong and Good banned in schools?

They Were Strong and Good 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 They Were Strong and Good explore?

Central themes in They Were Strong and Good include families, frontier and pioneer life, family, racist. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

They Were Strong and Good

Name: They Were Strong and Good
Availability: InStock
Author: Robert Lawson
ISBN: 9780670699490

by Robert Lawson

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list

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:Caldecott Medal

They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson is assigned in US schools at grades 1–4. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where They Were Strong and Good 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 1–4
Age range: Ages 6–9
Pages: 68
Reading time: about 1h 15m (est.)
First published: 1940
Genre: Biography
ISBN-13: 9780670699490

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Caldecott Medal?

More formats & details

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About this book

They Were Strong and Good is a book by Robert Lawson that won the Caldecott Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1941. It tells the story of Lawson's family: where they came from, how they met, what they did, where they lived. "None of them," Lawson says in the preface, speaking of his ancestors, "were great or famous, but they were strong and good." [1][1] [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Were_Strong_and_Good

Similar grade-level books

See all books like They Were Strong and Good→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Biography title, typically at grades 1–4. Written in the 1940s; pairs with curriculum units on families and frontier and pioneer life; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

families · frontier and pioneer life · family · racist

Where this book is assigned

Caldecott Medal

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Common questions

What grade level is They Were Strong and Good?: They Were Strong and Good is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 1–4. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read They Were Strong and Good?: It takes about 1h 15m to read They Were Strong and Good (68 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 75 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign They Were Strong and Good?: They Were Strong and Good appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is They Were Strong and Good banned in schools?: They Were Strong and Good 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 They Were Strong and Good explore?: Central themes in They Were Strong and Good include families, frontier and pioneer life, family, racist. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 1–4 — 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: Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: award-winner.