Tops and Bottoms

by Janet Stevens

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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).

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens is assigned in US schools at grades 2–3. 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 Tops and Bottoms 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 2–3
Age range
Ages 7–8
First published
1997
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780152019228

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

With roots in European folktales and American slave stories, this tale celebrates the trickster tradition of overcoming hardship by using one's wits. An exciting vertical format takes this funny story to its most entertaining extreme.

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Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 2–3. Written in the 1990s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Tops and Bottoms?
Tops and Bottoms is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–3. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign Tops and Bottoms?
Tops and Bottoms appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Tops and Bottoms banned in schools?
Tops and Bottoms 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 2–3 — 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
No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.

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