Cover of Uglies

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld

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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).

On reading-award lists:Virginia Readers' Choice

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. 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 Uglies 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 9–12
Age range
Ages 14–17
Pages
432
Reading time
about 7h 55m (est.)
First published
2005
Genre
Graphic Novel
ISBN-13
9781665940658

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on teenage girls and science fiction; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

teenage girls · science fiction · personal beauty · friendship

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Uglies?
Uglies is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. 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 Uglies?
It takes about 7h 55m to read Uglies (432 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 475 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Uglies?
Uglies appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Uglies banned in schools?
Uglies 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 Uglies explore?
Central themes in Uglies include teenage girls, science fiction, personal beauty, friendship. 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 9–12 — 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
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.

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