The Aquanaut
by Dan Santat
Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
The Aquanaut by Dan Santat is assigned in US schools at grades 2–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Aquanaut is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
- Grade range
- Grades 2–8
- Age range
- Ages 7–13
- Pages
- 258
- Reading time
- about 4h 45m (est.)
- First published
- 2022
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780545500548
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.
About this book
Dive in to this whimsically adventurous graphic novel from Caldecott Medalist and National Book Award Winner Dan Santat! Ever since her father was lost at sea, Sophia has been moping around Aqualand, the marine theme park her dad and uncle created. But Sophia's world is turned upside down when an "aquanaut" breaks into the park's research lab.
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like The Aquanaut→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 2–8. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Where this book is assigned
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association)
- recommended·2nd grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·3rd grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·4th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·7th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·8th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is The Aquanaut?
- The Aquanaut is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–8. 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 Aquanaut?
- It takes about 4h 45m to read The Aquanaut (258 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 285 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Aquanaut?
- The Aquanaut appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Aquanaut banned in schools?
- The Aquanaut 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 classifyHide
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 2–8 — 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
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.