Where the Red Fern Grows by the numbers
Wilson Rawls · first published 1961 · dataset 2026-10-24
Who it is not for: readers below 4th grade: no school list in our data assigns it earlier. At 245 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) | 245 |
|---|---|
| Estimated words | 67,000 |
| Reading time, 300 wpm (fast) | 3 h 45 min |
| Reading time, 250 wpm (average adult) | 4 h 30 min |
| Reading time, 200 wpm (careful / younger reader) | 5 h 37 min |
| Days at 20 minutes a day | 14 |
| Lexile measure | 700L |
At 245 pages, Where the Red Fern Grows is longer than 66.2% 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).
Where the Red Fern Grows is 245 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 |
|---|---|
| Where the Red Fern Grows | 245 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 Where the Red Fern Grows is on school reading lists
15 appearances (0.1% of all 20,804 listings in the dataset), drawn from 6 published lists, in grades 4th–7th. 15 of the 15 carry a link to the published source document.
States (5): Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas.
| Grade | Listings |
|---|---|
| 4th | 3 |
| 5th | 6 |
| 6th | 4 |
| 7th | 2 |
Sources
- 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
- 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
- Massachusetts Children's Book Award winners (Salem State University), via Goodreads award record — 1987 · checked 2026-06-09
- TX common summer-reading list — rising 5th grade · checked 2026-05-29
- Oklahoma Academic Standards grade 6 aligned text (Ozarks setting) · checked 2026-05-29
- CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 4-5 exemplar · checked 2026-05-29
Questions
How many pages is Where the Red Fern Grows?
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is 245 pages in the edition recorded in our dataset. Page counts vary by edition and format; at about 275 words per page that is roughly 67,000 words.
How long does it take to read Where the Red Fern Grows?
About 4 h 30 min at an average adult pace of 250 words per minute (3 h 45 min at 300 wpm, 5 h 37 min at 200 wpm). At 20 minutes a day that is about 14 days.
Is Where the Red Fern Grows on school reading lists?
Yes. It appears 15 times on the U.S. school reading lists, award lists and curricula in our dataset, in 5 states plus 1 national-curriculum listing, most often in grades 3-5. That ranks it #205 of 2,809 listed books.
Related
- Where the Red Fern Grows: reading level, grades and similar booksOn ReadingList, our sister site for school reading lists.
- Books of about the same lengthA Wolf Called Wander (242 pp.) · Looking for Alaska (248 pp.) · Touching Spirit Bear (241 pp.) · Fahrenheit 451 (249 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/where-the-red-fern-grows/">Where the Red Fern Grows statistics</a>. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [Where the Red Fern Grows statistics](https://bookstatistics.com/books/where-the-red-fern-grows/). Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site. [url=https://bookstatistics.com/books/where-the-red-fern-grows/]Where the Red Fern Grows statistics[/url]. Book Statistics, a Figures Bureau site.