What grade level is Bless Me, Ultima?

Bless Me, Ultima is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 840L. Exact placement varies by school and district.

What is the Lexile level of Bless Me, Ultima?

Bless Me, Ultima has a Lexile measure of 840L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.

How long does it take to read Bless Me, Ultima?

It takes about 4h 50m to read Bless Me, Ultima (262 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 290 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is Bless Me, Ultima banned in schools?

Bless Me, Ultima has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 3 states (AZ, FL, OK) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

Bless Me, Ultima

Name: Bless Me, Ultima
Availability: InStock
Author: Rudolfo Anaya
ISBN: 9780446600255

by Rudolfo Anaya · Grades 9–12 · Literary Fiction

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 840L. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 14–18 · Grades 9–12 · Lexile 840L · 262 pages. Content notes: violence and death, mature/sexual content (a brothel scene), profanity (Common Sense Media: 14+). The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780446600255). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

This page shows where Bless Me, Ultima is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Lexile: 840L
Grade range: Grades 9–12
Difficulty for grade: Below the grade 9–10 band (1050–1335L)
Age range: Ages 14–18
Pages: 262
Reading time: about 4h 50m (est.)
First published: 1972
Genre: Literary Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780446600255

Sources: Lexile from MetaMetrics as recorded in our catalog (method); pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Reading difficulty: At 840L, Bless Me, Ultima reads below the typical 1050–1335L text-complexity range for 9th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.

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New to these terms? What is a Lexile level? · Reading levels by grade

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like Bless Me, Ultima→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This literary fiction title reads at middle-grade prose complexity and is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on coming of age and good versus evil.

Themes

coming of age · good versus evil · religious and spiritual identity · Chicano cultural heritage · folk healing tradition · family and generational conflict

Content notes

violence and death · mature/sexual content (a brothel scene) · profanity

Common Sense Media recommends age 14+.

Where this book is assigned

No curriculum assignments on file yet.

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Common questions

What grade level is Bless Me, Ultima?: Bless Me, Ultima is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 840L. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What is the Lexile level of Bless Me, Ultima?: Bless Me, Ultima has a Lexile measure of 840L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Bless Me, Ultima?: It takes about 4h 50m to read Bless Me, Ultima (262 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 290 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Bless Me, Ultima hard to read for 9th grade?: At 840L, Bless Me, Ultima reads below the typical 1050–1335L text-complexity range for 9th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
Is Bless Me, Ultima banned in schools?: Bless Me, Ultima has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 3 states (AZ, FL, OK) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

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: 840L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band: Grades 9–12 — drawn from the curriculum sources cited on this page.
Curriculum alignment: Not yet documented in any tracked curriculum.
State-level evidence: Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records: Documented as challenged or removed in 3 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags: No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.