Cover of Old Yeller

Old Yeller

by Fred Gipson

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8. 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 Old Yeller 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 5–8
Age range
Ages 10–13
Pages
192
Reading time
about 3h 30m (est.)
First published
1956
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9780060739454
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About this book

Set on a hardscrabble Texas farm in the 1860s, Fred Gipson's Newbery Honor novel follows fourteen-year-old Travis Coates, left to run the family homestead while his father is away on a cattle drive. A big yellow stray dog adopts the family and proves himself again and again — guarding the children, fighting off wild hogs and a bear — until a brush with rabies forces Travis into a heartbreaking decision that marks his passage into adulthood.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 1950s; pairs with curriculum units on family and courage; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

family · courage · survival · animals · grief · growing up

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

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

Common questions

What grade level is Old Yeller?
Old Yeller is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8. 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 Old Yeller?
It takes about 3h 30m to read Old Yeller (192 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 210 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Old Yeller?
Old Yeller appears on reading lists for Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Old Yeller banned in schools?
Old Yeller 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 Old Yeller explore?
Central themes in Old Yeller include family, courage, survival, animals, grief. 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 5–8 — 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.