Ground Zero by the numbers
Alan Gratz · first published 2021 · dataset 2026-07-21
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Length and reading time
| Pages (dataset edition) | 304 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 84,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 4 h 39 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 5 h 34 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 6 h 58 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 17 |
At 304 pages, Ground Zero is longer than 76.1% of the 1,664 books on the reading lists we track. It is longer than the median book listed for grades 6-8 (223 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 Ground Zero is on school reading lists
27 appearances (0.2% of all 13,258 listings in the dataset), drawn from 9 published lists, in grades 6th–8th. 27 of the 27 carry a link to the published source document.
States (8): Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| 6th | 9 |
| 7th | 9 |
| 8th | 9 |
Sources
- William Allen White Children's Book Award (Emporia State University) — Kansas's statewide children's-choice program (est. 1952; students read the annual nominees and vote). Winner list 1953-2025 per the William Allen White Award record. · checked 2026-07-07
- Oklahoma Library Association — Sequoyah Book Award, Children's (gr 3-5) + Intermediate (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1959); winner roll 1959-2025 · checked 2026-06-15
- Tennessee Library Association — Volunteer State Book Award, Intermediate (gr 4-6) + Middle School (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1979); past-winners roll · checked 2026-06-15
- 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. · checked 2026-06-12
- Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12. · checked 2026-06-12
- Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Middle/Junior High; annual since 1974) · checked 2026-06-10
Questions
How many pages is Ground Zero?
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is 304 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 84,000 words.
How long does it take to read Ground Zero?
About 5 h 34 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (4 h 39 min at 300 wpm, 6 h 58 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 17 days.
Is Ground Zero on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 27 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 8 states, most often in grades 6-8. That ranks it #57 of 1,664 listed books.
Related
- Ground Zero: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- More by Alan GratzRefugee · Heroes
- Books of about the same lengthThe Color Purple (304 pp.) · Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (309 pp.) · Flowers for Algernon (311 pp.) · The Graveyard Book (312 pp.)
- The most assigned books, rankedAll 1,664 listed books start here.
- Book length statisticsHow long assigned books are, by grade.
Cite this page
<a href="https://bookstatistics.com/books/ground-zero/">Ground Zero statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [Ground Zero statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/ground-zero/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/ground-zero/]Ground Zero statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.