Bless Me, Ultima
by Rudolfo Anaya
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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).
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.
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.
- 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
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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Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
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Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
See all books like Bless Me, Ultima→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Literary Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically 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. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- 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 1 state (AZ) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
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 state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- 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 1 state 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.