Cover of Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

by Verna Aardema

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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

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema is assigned in US schools at grades k–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 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears 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–3
Age range
Ages 5–8
Pages
30
Reading time
about 35 minutes (est.)
First published
1975
Genre
Fairy Tale/Folklore
ISBN-13
9780140549058

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

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A retelling of a traditional West African tale that reveals how the mosquito developed its annoying habit.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Fairy Tale/Folklore title, typically at grades k–3. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on animals and caldecott medal; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

animals · caldecott medal · folklore · mosquitoes

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears?
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–3. 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 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears?
It takes about 35 minutes to read Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (30 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears?
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears banned in schools?
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears 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 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears explore?
Central themes in Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears include animals, caldecott medal, folklore, mosquitoes. 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 K–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
Tagged for: award-winner.

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