Cover of Challenger Deep

Challenger Deep

by Neal Shusterman · Grades 9–12

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Grades 9–12 · 281 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780062231727). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

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:Golden Kite AwardNational Book Award for Young People's Literature

This page shows where Challenger Deep 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 9–12
Pages
281
Reading time
about 5h 10m (est.)
First published
2015
ISBN-13
9780062231727

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-19; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 9?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

More like this

Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Show 12 more

About this book

Book facts and sources (2)
Award won
  • National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 2015 (source: Wikipedia)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 2015 · 281 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Where this book is recommended

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Challenger Deep?
Challenger Deep is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 2 book-award lists. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Challenger Deep?
It takes about 5h 10m to read Challenger Deep (281 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 310 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Challenger Deep?
Challenger Deep appears on reading lists for Golden Kite Award, National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Challenger Deep banned in schools?
Challenger Deep has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (TX) 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
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 9–12 — 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
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
Tagged for: award-winner, read-aloud.

Keep browsing

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: