Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is assigned in US schools at grades 11–12, with a Lexile measure of 870L. It appears across 2 curriculum references, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Brave New World is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 870L
- Grade range
- Grades 11–12
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 11–CCR band (1185–1385L)
- Age range
- Ages 15–18
- Pages
- 288
- Reading time
- about 5h 15m (est.)
- First published
- 1932
- Genre
- Dystopian Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780060850524
Reading difficulty: At 870L, Brave New World reads below the typical 1185–1385L text-complexity range for 11th 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.
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About this book
In a future World State, citizens are chemically stratified, conditioned from infancy, and pacified by a euphoric drug called soma. When a "savage" from a New Mexico reservation is brought to London, the facade of civilized happiness begins to crack. A standard 11th-12th grade and AP Literature text paired with 1984.
Why widely assigned
This Dystopian Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 11–12. Written in the 1930s; pairs with curriculum units on technocratic control and pleasure and meaning; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.
Themes
technocratic control · pleasure and meaning · individuality · scientific ethics · consumerism · dystopia
Content notes
drug use · sexual content · suicide
Common Sense Media recommends age 15+.
Where this book is assigned
Similar grade-level books
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury · 890L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
See all books like Brave New World→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Brave New World?
- Brave New World is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 11–12, with a Lexile measure of 870L. 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 Brave New World?
- Brave New World has a Lexile measure of 870L 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 Brave New World?
- It takes about 5h 15m to read Brave New World (288 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 315 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Brave New World hard to read for 11th grade?
- At 870L, Brave New World reads below the typical 1185–1385L text-complexity range for 11th 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 Brave New World?
- Brave New World appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). 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
- 870L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 11–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- Documented as challenged or removed in 4 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.