Cover of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I

by M. T. Anderson

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I by M. T. Anderson is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 9–12
Pages
377
Reading time
about 6h 55m (est.)
First published
2010
ISBN-13
9780763651787
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About this book

National Book Award Winner! This deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today. It sounds like a fairy tale. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother — a princess in exile from a faraway land — are the only persons in their household assigned names. As the boy's regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments — and his own chilling role in them. Set against the disquiet of Rev

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I?
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I?
It takes about 6h 55m to read The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I (377 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 415 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I?
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I appears on reading lists for National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I banned in schools?
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I 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.

Why this book is on this list

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 state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner.