What grade level is Blubber?

Blubber is listed for grades 4–7. It appears on 2 book-award lists across 6 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read Blubber?

It takes about 3h 30m to read Blubber (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 Blubber?

Blubber appears on reading lists for North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Blubber banned in schools?

Blubber 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 Blubber explore?

Central themes in Blubber include bullying, friendship, school, identity.

Blubber

Name: Blubber
Availability: InStock
Author: Judy Blume
ISBN: 9781481414401

by Judy Blume · Grades 4–7 · Realistic Fiction

Blubber by Judy Blume is on US reading lists at grades 4–7. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 6 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 9–12 · Grades 4–7 · 192 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781481414401). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Judy Blume Essentials boxed set, includes Blubber

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 6 states

#64 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:Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award

This page shows where Blubber 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

Grade range: Grades 4–7
Age range: Ages 9–12
Pages: 192
Reading time: about 3h 30m (est.)
First published: 1974
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781481414401

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-07-07; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 4?

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New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)

On award reading lists: Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award (source: Wikipedia)
North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (source: ndla.info)
Catalog record: First published 1974 · 192 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 4–7. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on bullying and friendship; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Themes

bullying · friendship · school · identity

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Blubber?: Blubber is listed for grades 4–7. It appears on 2 book-award lists across 6 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Blubber?: It takes about 3h 30m to read Blubber (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 Blubber?: Blubber appears on reading lists for North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Blubber banned in schools?: Blubber 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 Blubber explore?: Central themes in Blubber include bullying, friendship, school, identity.

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 the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 6 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club, read-aloud.