A Bad Case of Stripes by the numbers
David Shannon · first published 1998 · dataset 2026-10-24
Who it is not for: readers past 8th grade: no school list in our data assigns it later.
Get the book
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Book Statistics earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials, at no extra cost to you.
Length and reading time
| Pages (dataset edition) | 32 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 9,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 29 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 35 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 44 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 2 |
At 32 pages, A Bad Case of Stripes is longer than 3.3% of the 2,330 books on the reading lists we track whose page count we know (2,809 books are tracked in all). It is shorter than the median book listed for grades K-2 (40 pages).
A Bad Case of Stripes is 32 pages; the median book listed for grades K-2 is 40 pages and the median of all 2,330 listed books with a page count is 187.
Source: Page counts of 2,330 books on U.S. school reading lists, bookstatistics.com · Dataset snapshot 2026-10-24
Show the numbers
| Book | Pages |
|---|---|
| A Bad Case of Stripes | 32 pages |
| Median book listed for grades K-2 | 40 pages |
| Median of all listed books | 187 pages |
Word counts and reading times are estimates: pages × 275 words, divided by the reading speed. Your edition's page count and your own pace will differ.
Where A Bad Case of Stripes is on school reading lists
15 appearances (0.1% of all 20,804 listings in the dataset), drawn from 3 published lists, in grades Kindergarten–8th. 15 of the 15 carry a link to the published source document.
States (3): Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 2 |
| 1st | 2 |
| 2nd | 3 |
| 3rd | 3 |
| 4th | 1 |
| 5th | 1 |
| 6th | 1 |
| 7th | 1 |
| 8th | 1 |
Sources
- Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2000 winner (Picture Book) · checked 2026-09-24
- Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2001-2002 winner (K-3) · checked 2026-09-24
- Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program: students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record. · checked 2026-07-07
Questions
How many pages is A Bad Case of Stripes?
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon is 32 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 9,000 words.
How long does it take to read A Bad Case of Stripes?
About 35 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (29 min at 300 wpm, 44 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 2 days.
Is A Bad Case of Stripes on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 15 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 3 states, most often in grades K-2. That ranks it #187 of 2,809 listed books.
Related
- A Bad Case of Stripes: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- Books of about the same lengthIf You Give a Mouse a Cookie (32 pp.) · The Stranger (32 pp.) · The Very Hungry Caterpillar (26 pp.) · The Bees of Notre-Dame (22 pp.)
- The most assigned books, rankedAll 2,809 listed books start here.
- Book length statisticsHow long assigned books are, by grade.
Cite this page
<a href="https://bookstatistics.com/books/a-bad-case-of-stripes/">A Bad Case of Stripes statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [A Bad Case of Stripes statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/a-bad-case-of-stripes/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/a-bad-case-of-stripes/]A Bad Case of Stripes statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.