Cover of Bea and the New Deal Horse

Bea and the New Deal Horse

by L. M. Elliott

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 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:Virginia Readers' ChoiceScott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Bea and the New Deal Horse by L. M. Elliott is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. It appears across 2 curriculum references 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 Bea and the New Deal Horse 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 3–5
Age range
Ages 8–11
First published
2023
Genre
Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
ISBN-13
9780063219007

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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.

About this book

A lyrical historical novel set during the Great Depression: after losing her home, lonely Bea forges a deep bond with a difficult horse and learns resilience. L. M. Elliott's grades 3-5 novel won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and is a 2025-2026 Virginia Readers' Choice (Elementary) nominee.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Bea and the New Deal Horse→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) title, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on courage and family; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

courage · family · perseverance

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Bea and the New Deal Horse?
Bea and the New Deal Horse is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. It appears on 2 school reading lists across 1 state, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign Bea and the New Deal Horse?
Bea and the New Deal Horse appears on reading lists for Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Bea and the New Deal Horse banned in schools?
Bea and the New Deal Horse 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 Bea and the New Deal Horse explore?
Central themes in Bea and the New Deal Horse include courage, family, perseverance.

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 3–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula 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: award-winner, book-club.

Keep browsing

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: