What grade level is The Overstory?

The Overstory 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 Overstory?

It takes about 9h 45m to read The Overstory (531 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 585 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Overstory?

The Overstory appears on reading lists for Cambridge AS & A-Level English Literature (9695). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Overstory banned in schools?

The Overstory 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 Overstory explore?

Central themes in The Overstory include trees, forest, conservation, environment. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

The Overstory

Name: The Overstory
Availability: InStock
Author: Richard Powers
ISBN: 9780393635522

by Richard Powers

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 Overstory by Richard Powers 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 Overstory is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly Buy on Amazon

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 11–12
Age range: Ages 16–17
Pages: 531
Reading time: about 9h 45m (est.)
First published: 2018
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780393635522

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

*The Overstory* unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fable that range from antebellum New York to the late-twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. An Air Force loadmaster in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan. An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 11–12. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on trees and forest; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

trees · forest · conservation · environment

Where this book is assigned

Cambridge AS & A-Level English Literature (9695)
- required·11th grade source: Prescribed set text for Cambridge International AS & A Level Literature in English (9695), Paper 4 Section B (Post-1900), for examination in 2027. Transcribed from the official Cambridge International syllabus (721410-2027-2028-syllabus.pdf). Set texts rot
- required·12th grade source: Prescribed set text for Cambridge International AS & A Level Literature in English (9695), Paper 4 Section B (Post-1900), for examination in 2027. Transcribed from the official Cambridge International syllabus (721410-2027-2028-syllabus.pdf). Set texts rot

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is The Overstory?: The Overstory 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 Overstory?: It takes about 9h 45m to read The Overstory (531 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 585 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Overstory?: The Overstory appears on reading lists for Cambridge AS & A-Level English Literature (9695). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Overstory banned in schools?: The Overstory 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 Overstory explore?: Central themes in The Overstory include trees, forest, conservation, environment. 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: Tagged for: Paper 4 Section B (Post-1900).