The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
- Lexile
- 990L
- Grade range
- Grades 9–12
- Age range
- Ages 14–17
- Pages
- 366
- First published
- 1884
- Genre
- American Classic
- ISBN-13
- 9780142437179
About this book
Huck Finn, a runaway white boy, and Jim, an escaped enslaved Black man, raft down the Mississippi River together. Twain's first-person vernacular narration satirizes antebellum attitudes on slavery and hypocrisy in the pre-Civil War South. The novel is canonical in US literature survey courses and is among the most frequently challenged titles in American public schools due to its repeated use of racial slurs.
Themes
- racism
- friendship
- moral development
- freedom
- hypocrisy
- American South
Content notes
- pervasive racial slurs (historical)
- violence
- depictions of slavery
Common Sense Media recommends age 13+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- recommended· 11th gradesource: AP Lit representative text
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 11th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 11-CCR exemplar
- recommended· 11th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Learning Standards grade 11 aligned (Hannibal/MS River setting)
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 990L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has a Lexile measure of 990L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn banned in schools?
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 4 states (TX, MO, PA, VA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn explore?
- Central themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn include racism, friendship, moral development, freedom, hypocrisy. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.