Cover of Dogtown

Dogtown

by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 5 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Dogtown 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 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–12
First published
2023
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250811608
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About this book

At the Dogtown animal shelter, an unwanted real dog and a discarded robot dog team up with a clever shelter mouse to plan an escape — and find where they belong. Newbery-honored authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko's warm, funny grades 3-6 novel is a 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and perseverance; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

friendship · perseverance · humor · courage

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

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

Common questions

What grade level is Dogtown?
Dogtown is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign Dogtown?
Dogtown appears on reading lists for Colorado Children's Book Award, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award, and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Dogtown banned in schools?
Dogtown 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 Dogtown explore?
Central themes in Dogtown include friendship, perseverance, humor, courage. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

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 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 5 states ELA frameworks 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.