What grade level is They Were Strong and Good?

They Were Strong and Good is listed for grades 1–4. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.

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. See the banned books list by state.

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.

They Were Strong and Good

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

by Robert Lawson · Grades 1–4 · Biography

They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson is on US reading lists at grades 1–4. It appears on 1 list: the Caldecott Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Ages 6–9 · Grades 1–4 · 68 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780670699490). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Prefer an independent bookstore? Buy it on Bookshop.org →

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. ReadingList also earns a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookstores.

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

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.

Reading level at a glance

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

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-23; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 1?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

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

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This biography title is typically read at grades 1–4. Written in the 1940s; pairs with curriculum units on families and frontier and pioneer life; cited on the Caldecott Medal.

Themes

families · frontier and pioneer life · family · racist

Where this book is recommended

Caldecott Medal

Did you find what you were looking for?

Common questions

What grade level is They Were Strong and Good?: They Were Strong and Good is listed for grades 1–4. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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. See the banned books list by state.
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.

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 the 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: 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.