# Where the Wild Things Are

**Author:** Maurice Sendak
**Lexile:** 740L
**Grade range:** Grades K–3
**Age range:** 4–8
**First published:** 1963
**Page count:** 48
**Genre:** Picture Book
**ISBN-13:** `9780064431781`
**ISBN-10:** `0064431789`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/where-the-wild-things-are
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Max, sent to bed without supper, sails to where the Wild Things are and is crowned their king. Sendak's 1964 Caldecott Medal winner is one of the most-taught picture books in K-2 ELA — over 20 million copies in print and a staple of state ELA Appendix B exemplar lists.

## Themes

- imagination
- anger and tantrums
- home and family
- wildness and order
- boyhood

## Content notes

- mild peril (imaginary)

Common Sense Media age recommendation: 4+

## Where this book is assigned

### Common Core State Standards (ELA)

- **recommended** · Kindergarten grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B K-1 picture book exemplar (Caldecott Medal 1964)](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 1st grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B K-1 picture book exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 2nd grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B grades 2-3 read-aloud exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)

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