Cover of The Namesake

The Namesake

by Jhumpa Lahiri

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list

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 Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is assigned in US schools at grades 11–12. 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 Namesake 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 11–12
Age range
Ages 16–17
Pages
291
Reading time
about 5h 20m (est.)
First published
2007
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780618485222

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

'When Her Grandmother Learned Of Ashima'S Pregnancy, She Was Particularly Thrilled At The Prospect Of Naming The Family'S First Sahib. And So Ashima And Ashoke Have Agreed To Put Off The Decision Of What To Name The Baby Until A Letter Comes&' For Now, The Label On His Hospital Cot Reads Simply Baby Boy Ganguli. But As Time Passes And Still No Letter Arrives From India, American Bureaucracy Takes Over And Demands That 'Baby Boy Ganguli' Be Given A Name. In A Panic, His Father Decides To Nickname Him 'Gogol' After His Favourite Writer.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 11–12. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on alienation (social psychology); cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

alienation (social psychology)

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Namesake?
The Namesake is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 11–12. 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 Namesake?
It takes about 5h 20m to read The Namesake (291 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 320 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Namesake?
The Namesake appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Namesake banned in schools?
The Namesake 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.
What themes does The Namesake explore?
Central themes in The Namesake include alienation (social psychology). These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 11–12 — 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
No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.

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