Long Way Down by the numbers
Jason Reynolds · first published 2017 · dataset 2026-10-24
Who it is not for: readers below 7th grade: no school list in our data assigns it earlier. At 320 pages it is also longer than the median book listed for grades 6-8 (212), so it is not a quick read.
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Length and reading time
| Pages (dataset edition) | 320 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 88,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 4 h 53 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 5 h 52 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 7 h 20 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 18 |
| Lexile measure | 720L |
At 320 pages, Long Way Down is longer than 82.0% 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 longer than the median book listed for grades 6-8 (212 pages).
Long Way Down is 320 pages; the median book listed for grades 6-8 is 212 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 |
|---|---|
| Long Way Down | 320 pages |
| Median book listed for grades 6-8 | 212 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 Long Way Down is on school reading lists
11 appearances (0.1% of all 20,804 listings in the dataset), drawn from 4 published lists, in grades 7th–12th. 11 of the 11 carry a link to the published source document.
States (3): Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| 7th | 3 |
| 8th | 3 |
| 9th | 1 |
| 10th | 2 |
| 11th | 1 |
| 12th | 1 |
Sources
- Middleborough High School (MA) — Summer Reading 2025, choose one per incoming grade · checked 2026-10-07
- Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2018 Honor · checked 2026-06-19
- North Dakota Library Association — Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (student-choice; annual since 1978; Juvenile/Chapter + Intermediate + Older-Reader divisions); winner roll 1978-2025 · checked 2026-06-14
- 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
Questions
How many pages is Long Way Down?
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is 320 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 88,000 words.
How long does it take to read Long Way Down?
About 5 h 52 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (4 h 53 min at 300 wpm, 7 h 20 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 18 days.
Is Long Way Down on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 11 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 3 states plus 6 national-curriculum listings, most often in grades 6-8. That ranks it #351 of 2,809 listed books.
Related
- Long Way Down: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- Books of about the same lengthWonder (320 pp.) · The One and Only Ivan (320 pp.) · The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza (323 pp.) · The War That Saved My Life (316 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/long-way-down/">Long Way Down statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [Long Way Down statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/long-way-down/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/long-way-down/]Long Way Down statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.