What grade level is Watership Down?

Watership Down is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read Watership Down?

It takes about 8h 45m to read Watership Down (478 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 525 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Watership Down?

Watership Down appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Watership Down banned in schools?

Watership Down 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. See the banned books list by state.

What themes does Watership Down explore?

Central themes in Watership Down include rabbits, adventure and adventurers, open library staff picks, survival.

Watership Down

Name: Watership Down
Availability: InStock
Author: Richard Adams
ISBN: 9780380395866

by Richard Adams · Grades 9–12 · Fantasy

Watership Down by Richard Adams is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 1 list: the California Young Reader Medal, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 478 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780380395866). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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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:California Young Reader Medal

This page shows where Watership Down is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range: Grades 9–12
Age range: Ages 14–17
Pages: 478
Reading time: about 8h 45m (est.)
First published: 1972
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-13: 9780380395866

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 9?

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Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This fantasy title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on rabbits and adventure and adventurers; cited on the California Young Reader Medal.

Themes

rabbits · adventure and adventurers · open library staff picks · survival

Where this book is recommended

California Young Reader Medal

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Common questions

What grade level is Watership Down?: Watership Down is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Watership Down?: It takes about 8h 45m to read Watership Down (478 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 525 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Watership Down?: Watership Down appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Watership Down banned in schools?: Watership Down 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. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does Watership Down explore?: Central themes in Watership Down include rabbits, adventure and adventurers, open library staff picks, survival.

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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.