Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 890L. It appears across 3 curriculum references, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Things Fall Apart is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 890L
- Grade range
- Grades 9–12
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 9–10 band (1050–1335L)
- Age range
- Ages 14–18
- Pages
- 209
- Reading time
- about 3h 50m (est.)
- First published
- 1958
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780385474542
Reading difficulty: At 890L, Things Fall Apart reads below the typical 1050–1335L text-complexity range for 9th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.
Where to find this book
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About this book
Achebe's novel of a powerful Igbo man, Okonkwo, and the arrival of British colonial administrators and Christian missionaries in late-19th century Nigeria. Now the standard post-colonial African Literature text in US secondary schools, frequently paired with Heart of Darkness in AP Lit critical-lens units.
Why widely assigned
This Literary Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 1950s; pairs with curriculum units on colonialism and cultural tradition and change; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.
Themes
colonialism · cultural tradition and change · masculinity · religion and belief · pride and fall · African storytelling
Content notes
ritual violence · colonial violence · suicide · killing of a child
Common Sense Media recommends age 14+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
IB Diploma Programme — English A: Literature
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
See all books like Things Fall Apart→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Things Fall Apart?
- Things Fall Apart is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 890L. 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 Things Fall Apart?
- Things Fall Apart has a Lexile measure of 890L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read Things Fall Apart?
- It takes about 3h 50m to read Things Fall Apart (209 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 230 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Things Fall Apart hard to read for 9th grade?
- At 890L, Things Fall Apart reads below the typical 1050–1335L text-complexity range for 9th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- What curricula assign Things Fall Apart?
- Things Fall Apart appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA), IB Diploma Programme — English A: Literature. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 890L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 9–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 curricula 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: summer.