The Adventures of Captain Underpants by the numbers
Dav Pilkey · first published 1997 · dataset 2026-10-24
Who it is not for: readers past 5th grade: no school list in our data assigns it later.
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The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Dav Pilkey
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Length and reading time
| Pages (dataset edition) | 125 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 34,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 1 h 55 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 2 h 18 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 2 h 52 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 7 |
| Lexile measure | 720L |
At 125 pages, The Adventures of Captain Underpants is longer than 34.6% 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 3-5 (160 pages).
The Adventures of Captain Underpants is 125 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 |
|---|---|
| The Adventures of Captain Underpants | 125 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 The Adventures of Captain Underpants is on school reading lists
13 appearances (0.1% of all 20,804 listings in the dataset), drawn from 4 published lists, in grades Kindergarten–5th. 13 of the 13 carry a link to the published source document.
States (4): Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 1 |
| 1st | 1 |
| 2nd | 1 |
| 3rd | 4 |
| 4th | 3 |
| 5th | 3 |
Sources
- Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 1999 winner · checked 2026-09-24
- Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 1999-2000 winner (K-3) · 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
- Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award — official winners list (Ohio, K-12 grade bands, voted biennially/annually since 1982) · checked 2026-06-09
Questions
How many pages is The Adventures of Captain Underpants?
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey is 125 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 34,000 words. See how long assigned books are, grade by grade.
How long does it take to read The Adventures of Captain Underpants?
About 2 h 18 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (1 h 55 min at 300 wpm, 2 h 52 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 7 days. Compare a book of about the same length: The Door in the Wall.
Is The Adventures of Captain Underpants on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 13 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 4 states, most often in grades 3-5. That ranks it #239 of 2,809 listed books. See the most assigned books, ranked.
When was The Adventures of Captain Underpants first published?
The Adventures of Captain Underpants was first published in 1997, 29 years ago. See how old assigned books are, decade by decade.
Related
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- More by Dav PilkeyDog Man
- Books of about the same lengthThe Door in the Wall (125 pp.) · A Long Walk to Water (128 pp.) · Night (120 pp.) · Animal Farm (112 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/the-adventures-of-captain-underpants/">The Adventures of Captain Underpants statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [The Adventures of Captain Underpants statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/the-adventures-of-captain-underpants/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/the-adventures-of-captain-underpants/]The Adventures of Captain Underpants statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.