Comparison
The Tale of Despereaux vs Wonder
How The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo and Wonder by R.J. Palacio compare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.
The Tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo
- Lexile
- 670L
- Grades
- 3–6
- Published
- 2003
- Pages
- 270
- Genre
- Middle Grade Fantasy
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At a glance
- Lexile differential
- 120L (The Tale of Despereaux: 670L · Wonder: 790L)
- Grade-range overlap
- Grades 3–6
- Year-of-publication gap
- 9 years (2003 vs 2012)
- Page-count gap
- 50 pages (270 vs 320)
- Shared curricula
- 87 of 161
- Shared themes
- 0 of 11
Reading-level difference
The 120-point Lexile gap puts Wonder roughly a notch above The Tale of Despereaux. Lexile differences below 50L typically reflect equivalent decoding load (sentence length + word frequency); differences above 200L cross developmental reading-band boundaries. More on how Lexile measures work →
Curriculum overlap
Both books appear in 87 shared curriculum frameworks:
Themes
Only The Tale of Despereaux
courage · forgiveness · light vs dark · fairy-tale form · underdog narrative
Only Wonder
facial difference · kindness · bullying · family · friendship · empathy
Common questions
- Which is harder to read, The Tale of Despereaux or Wonder?
- Wonder (Lexile 790) is the harder read — 120L higher than The Tale of Despereaux (Lexile 670). Lexile differential ≥150L typically means a 1-2 grade-level difference. Both are in the 3-5 grade band, though.
- What grade level is The Tale of Despereaux vs Wonder?
- The Tale of Despereaux: 3-6 grade range. Wonder: 3-7 grade range. Both assigned within the 3-5 band. Specific district and curriculum vary; see each book's page for the full assignment history.
- Which is more commonly taught, The Tale of Despereaux or Wonder?
- Both The Tale of Despereaux and Wonder are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (The Tale of Despereaux, Wonder) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.
- Should I read The Tale of Despereaux or Wonder first?
- If they're in the same school year, follow the syllabus order (usually chronological by publication or grouped by theme). If reading independently: start with the shorter or lower-Lexile title (The Tale of Despereaux) to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.
Get these books
The Tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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Wonder
R.J. Palacio
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
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.