Comparison

Shiloh vs The Tale of Despereaux

How Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo compare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.

Shiloh

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Lexile
890L
Grades
3–6
Published
1991
Pages
160
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Get it on Amazon

The Tale of Despereaux

Kate DiCamillo

Lexile
670L
Grades
3–6
Published
2003
Pages
270
Genre
Middle Grade Fantasy
Get it on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases.

At a glance

Lexile differential
220L (Shiloh: 890L · The Tale of Despereaux: 670L)
Grade-range overlap
Grades 3–6
Year-of-publication gap
12 years (1991 vs 2003)
Page-count gap
110 pages (160 vs 270)
Shared curricula
63 of 137
Shared themes
1 of 9

Reading-level difference

The 220-point Lexile gap puts Shiloh roughly a meaningful step harder than The Tale of Despereaux. Lexile differences below 50L typically reflect equivalent decoding load (sentence length + word frequency); differences above 200L cross developmental reading-band boundaries. More on how Lexile measures work →

Curriculum overlap

Both books appear in 63 shared curriculum frameworks:

Themes

Shared

courage

Only Shiloh

animal welfare · morality · family · rural life

Only The Tale of Despereaux

forgiveness · light vs dark · fairy-tale form · underdog narrative

Common questions

Which is harder to read, Shiloh or The Tale of Despereaux?
Shiloh (Lexile 890) is the harder read — 220L higher than The Tale of Despereaux (Lexile 670). Lexile differential ≥150L typically means a 1-2 grade-level difference. Both are in the 3-5 grade band, though.
What grade level is Shiloh vs The Tale of Despereaux?
Shiloh: 3-6 grade range. The Tale of Despereaux: 3-6 grade range. Both assigned within the 3-5 band. Specific district and curriculum vary; see each book's page for the full assignment history.
Which is more commonly taught, Shiloh or The Tale of Despereaux?
Both Shiloh and The Tale of Despereaux are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (Shiloh, The Tale of Despereaux) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.
Should I read Shiloh or The Tale of Despereaux first?
If they're in the same school year, follow the syllabus order (usually chronological by publication or grouped by theme). If reading independently: start with the shorter or lower-Lexile title (The Tale of Despereaux) to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.

Get these books

Shiloh

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Where to find this book

Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

The Tale of Despereaux

Kate DiCamillo

Where to find this book

Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

Related on ReadingList

Comparison data computed from each book’s curriculum citations, Lexile measures (MetaMetrics), grade-range references (state ELA frameworks + AP/IB syllabi), and ban records (PEN America 2022-2024 index + ALA). Last reviewed: 2026-09-11.

Find the right books for your child

Pick a grade to see the books schools assign.

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: