Cover of Watercress

Watercress

by Andrea Wang

Watercress by Andrea Wang is assigned in US schools at grades k–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 Watercress 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 K–4
Pages
35
Reading time
about 40 minutes (est.)
First published
2021
Genre
Picture Book
ISBN-13
9780823446247
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About this book

Caldecott Medal Winner Newbery Honor Book APALA Award Winner A story about the power of sharing memories—including the painful ones—and the way our heritage stays with and shapes us, even when we don’t see it. New England Book Award Winner A New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book While driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's Chinese immigrant parents spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. They stop the car, grabbing rusty scissors and an old paper bag, and the whole family wades into the mud to gather as much as they can. At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family just get food from the grocery store, like everyone else? But when her mother shares a bittersweet story of her family history in China,

Why widely assigned

This Picture Book title, typically at grades k–4. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Watercress?
Watercress is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–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 Watercress?
It takes about 40 minutes to read Watercress (35 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 40 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Watercress?
Watercress appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Watercress banned in schools?
Watercress 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

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 K–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: read-aloud.