The Whipping Boy by the numbers
Sid Fleischman · first published 1986 · dataset 2026-10-24
Who it is not for: readers below 3rd grade: no school list in our data assigns it earlier.
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Length and reading time
| Pages (dataset edition) | 96 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 26,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 1 h 28 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 1 h 46 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 2 h 12 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 6 |
At 96 pages, The Whipping Boy is longer than 29.1% 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 shorter than the median book listed for grades 3-5 (160 pages).
The Whipping Boy is 96 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 Whipping Boy | 96 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 Whipping Boy is on school reading lists
20 appearances (0.1% of all 20,804 listings in the dataset), drawn from 4 published lists, in grades 3rd–7th. 20 of the 20 carry a link to the published source document.
States (3): Arkansas, Hawaii, Wisconsin.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| 3rd | 4 |
| 4th | 4 |
| 5th | 4 |
| 6th | 4 |
| 7th | 4 |
Sources
- Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1987 Newbery Medal winner · checked 2026-06-20
- Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll) · checked 2026-06-15
- Arkansas State Library / Arkansas Literacy Association — Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; annual since 1971) · checked 2026-06-15
- Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Middle/Junior High; annual since 1974) · checked 2026-06-15
Questions
How many pages is The Whipping Boy?
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman is 96 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 26,000 words.
How long does it take to read The Whipping Boy?
About 1 h 46 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (1 h 28 min at 300 wpm, 2 h 12 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 6 days.
Is The Whipping Boy on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 20 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 3 states plus 5 national-curriculum listings, most often in grades 3-5. That ranks it #134 of 2,809 listed books.
Related
- The Whipping Boy: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- Books of about the same lengthHeart of Darkness (96 pp.) · The Pearl (96 pp.) · Love That Dog (92 pp.) · Fourth Grade Rats (90 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-whipping-boy/">The Whipping Boy statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [The Whipping Boy statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/the-whipping-boy/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/the-whipping-boy/]The Whipping Boy statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.