Cover of Dragon Rider

Dragon Rider

by Cornelia Funke · Grades 3–8 · Realistic Fiction

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke is on US reading lists at grades 3–8. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 8–13 · Grades 3–8 · 536 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780439685139). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

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:Arizona Grand Canyon Reader AwardPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award

This page shows where Dragon Rider 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 3–8
Age range
Ages 8–13
Pages
536
Reading time
about 9h 50m (est.)
First published
2004
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780439685139

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-08-05; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 2004 · 536 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 3–8. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on animals, mythical; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Themes

animals, mythical

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Dragon Rider?
Dragon Rider is listed for grades 3–8. It appears on 2 book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Dragon Rider?
It takes about 9h 50m to read Dragon Rider (536 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 590 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Dragon Rider?
Dragon Rider appears on reading lists for Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Dragon Rider banned in schools?
Dragon Rider 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. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does Dragon Rider explore?
Central themes in Dragon Rider include animals, mythical.

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 3–8 — 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 2 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.

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