Cover of Widget

Widget

by Lyn Rossiter McFarland

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)

Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland is assigned in US schools at grades k–3. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Widget 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
32
Reading time
about 35 minutes (est.)
First published
2001
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9781439551684

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A small stray dog is accepted into a household full of cats by learning to "fit in", but when his mistress is hurt, he demonstrates that being a dog is not all bad.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Widget→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades k–3. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on cats and dogs; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

cats · dogs · dogs, fiction · cats, fiction

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Widget?
Widget 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 Widget?
It takes about 35 minutes to read Widget (32 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 Widget?
Widget appears on reading lists for Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Widget banned in schools?
Widget 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 Widget explore?
Central themes in Widget include cats, dogs, dogs, fiction, cats, fiction. 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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