Cover of Rules

Rules

by Cynthia Lord

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Among the most widely assigned — 7 curriculum lists · 6 states

#70 most-assigned book in America — on school reading lists in 6 states (2026-07-13 study of 13,258 assignments).

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:Maine Student Book AwardVermont Golden Dome Book AwardGreat Stone Face Book AwardGreat Lakes Great Books Award+3 more

Rules by Cynthia Lord is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7. It appears across 7 curriculum references and 6 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Rules 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 4–7
Age range
Ages 9–12
First published
2006
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780545036405

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on disability and friendship; cited across 7 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

disability · friendship · acceptance

Where this book is assigned

Show 1 more award or assignment

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Common questions

What grade level is Rules?
Rules is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7. It appears on 7 school reading lists across 6 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign Rules?
Rules appears on reading lists for Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award, and 4 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Rules banned in schools?
Rules has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (FL) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
What themes does Rules explore?
Central themes in Rules include disability, friendship, acceptance.

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 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 7 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 6 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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