What grade level is What If It's Us?

What If It's Us 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 What If It's Us?

It takes about 8h 5m to read What If It's Us (443 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 485 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign What If It's Us?

What If It's Us appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is What If It's Us banned in schools?

What If It's Us 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 What If It's Us explore?

Central themes in What If It's Us include gays, fate and fatalism, dating (social customs), dating (social customs), fiction.

What If It's Us

Name: What If It's Us
Availability: InStock
Author: Becky Albertalli
ISBN: 9780062868671

by Becky Albertalli · Grades 9–12 · Realistic Fiction

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 1 list: the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 443 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780062868671). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Prefer an independent bookstore? Buy it on Bookshop.org →

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. ReadingList also earns a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookstores.

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:Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award

This page shows where What If It's Us 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: 443
Reading time: about 8h 5m (est.)
First published: 2018
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780062868671

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?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

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.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like What If It's Us→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on gays and fate and fatalism; cited on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award.

Themes

gays · fate and fatalism · dating (social customs) · dating (social customs), fiction

Where this book is recommended

Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award

Did you find what you were looking for?

Common questions

What grade level is What If It's Us?: What If It's Us 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 What If It's Us?: It takes about 8h 5m to read What If It's Us (443 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 485 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign What If It's Us?: What If It's Us appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is What If It's Us banned in schools?: What If It's Us 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 What If It's Us explore?: Central themes in What If It's Us include gays, fate and fatalism, dating (social customs), dating (social customs), fiction.

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.