Cover of Sounder

Sounder

by William H. Armstrong · Grades 3–7 · Fiction

Sounder by William H. Armstrong is on US reading lists at grades 3–7. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Grades 3–7 · 98 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780060935481). 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.

Widely assigned — 3 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:Hawai'i Nēnē AwardMark Twain Readers AwardNewbery Medal

This page shows where Sounder 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 3–7
Pages
98
Reading time
about 1h 50m (est.)
First published
1969
Genre
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780060935481

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 3?

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 · What is the Newbery Medal?

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 (3)
Award won
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 1969 · 98 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This fiction title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 1960s; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.

Where this book is recommended

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Sounder?
Sounder is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 3 book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Sounder?
It takes about 1h 50m to read Sounder (98 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 110 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Sounder?
Sounder appears on reading lists for Hawai'i Nēnē Award, Mark Twain Readers Award, Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Sounder banned in schools?
Sounder 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

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 3–7 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 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: award-winner, book-club.

Keep browsing

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: