Cover of Pax

Pax

by Sara Pennypacker

Pax by Sara Pennypacker is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 760L. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 5 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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

Lexile
760L
Grade range
Grades 4–7
Difficulty for grade
Within the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
Age range
Ages 8–12
Pages
288
Reading time
about 5h 15m (est.)
First published
2016
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062377036

Reading difficulty: At 760L, Pax falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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About this book

When war forces his father to enlist, twelve-year-old Peter is made to release his tame fox, Pax, into the wild — and then sets out to find him again. Sara Pennypacker alternates between boy and fox in a story about loyalty, the costs of war, and the bond between them. Widely assigned in grades 4-7, it is a common read-aloud and novel-study choice for its emotional depth and dual perspective.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and war; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

friendship · war · loyalty · nature · loss

Content notes

war · animal peril

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

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

Common questions

What grade level is Pax?
Pax is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 760L. 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 Pax?
Pax has a Lexile measure of 760L 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 Pax?
It takes about 5h 15m to read Pax (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 Pax hard to read for 4th grade?
At 760L, Pax falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Pax?
Pax appears on reading lists for Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, California Young Reader Medal, Great Stone Face Book Award, and 2 others. 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
760L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 5 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.