A Long Walk to Water
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 720L. 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 A Long Walk to Water is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 720L
- Grade range
- Grades 5–8
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
- Age range
- Ages 10–14
- Pages
- 128
- Reading time
- about 2h 20m (est.)
- First published
- 2010
- Genre
- Historical Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780547577319
Reading difficulty: At 720L, A Long Walk to Water reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th 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
Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership.
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.
About this book
Two stories braid together: Salva, one of Sudan's 'Lost Boys,' flees civil war on foot in 1985, and Nya, a girl in 2008, walks hours each day to fetch water. Based on the true story of Salva Dut, the short novel is one of the most widely assigned middle-school texts on resilience and access to clean water.
Why widely assigned
This Historical Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on survival and perseverance; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
survival · perseverance · war · water access · hope
Content notes
war violence · death
Common Sense Media recommends age 10+.
Where this book is assigned
Great Stone Face Book Award
- recommended·5th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·6th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·7th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·8th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
Similar grade-level books
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like A Long Walk to Water→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is A Long Walk to Water?
- A Long Walk to Water is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 720L. 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 A Long Walk to Water?
- A Long Walk to Water has a Lexile measure of 720L 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 A Long Walk to Water?
- It takes about 2h 20m to read A Long Walk to Water (128 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is A Long Walk to Water hard to read for 5th grade?
- At 720L, A Long Walk to Water reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th 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 A Long Walk to Water?
- A Long Walk to Water appears on reading lists for Great Stone Face Book Award. 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
- 720L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 5–8 — 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.