Matilda by the numbers
Roald Dahl · first published 1988 · dataset 2026-10-24
Who it is not for: readers below 3rd grade: no school list in our data assigns it earlier. At 240 pages it is also longer than the median book listed for grades 3-5 (160), so it is not a quick read.
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Length and reading time
| Pages (dataset edition) | 240 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 66,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 3 h 40 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 4 h 24 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 5 h 30 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 14 |
| Lexile measure | 840L |
At 240 pages, Matilda is longer than 64.1% 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 3-5 (160 pages).
Matilda is 240 pages; the median book listed for grades 3-5 is 160 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 |
|---|---|
| Matilda | 240 pages |
| Median book listed for grades 3-5 | 160 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 Matilda is on school reading lists
39 appearances (0.2% of all 20,804 listings in the dataset), drawn from 11 published lists, in grades 3rd–6th. 39 of the 39 carry a link to the published source document.
States (9): Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| 3rd | 8 |
| 4th | 11 |
| 5th | 11 |
| 6th | 9 |
Sources
- Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 1990-1991 winner (Elementary) · checked 2026-09-24
- West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award — official winners list (West Virginia grades 3-6, voted annually since 1981; hosted by the West Virginia Center for the Book at the West Virginia Library Commission) · checked 2026-06-20
- Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2014 Honor · checked 2026-06-19
- Wyoming Library Association — Indian Paintbrush Book Award, grades 4-6 (student-choice; annual since 1986); winner roll 1986-2024 · checked 2026-06-14
- 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
- Nevada Library Association — Nevada Young Readers' Award, Young Reader + Intermediate divisions (student-choice; annual since 1988) · checked 2026-06-11
Questions
How many pages is Matilda?
Matilda by Roald Dahl is 240 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 66,000 words.
How long does it take to read Matilda?
About 4 h 24 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (3 h 40 min at 300 wpm, 5 h 30 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 14 days.
Is Matilda on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 39 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 9 states plus 6 national-curriculum listings, most often in grades 3-5. That ranks it #45 of 2,809 listed books.
Related
- Matilda: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- More by Roald DahlCharlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Books of about the same lengthThe Crossover (240 pp.) · Dog Man (240 pp.) · Touching Spirit Bear (241 pp.) · A Wolf Called Wander (242 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/matilda/">Matilda statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [Matilda statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/matilda/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/matilda/]Matilda statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.