Cover of Railsea

Railsea

by China Miéville

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

Railsea by China Miéville is assigned in US schools at grades 5–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Railsea is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 5–12
Pages
347
Reading time
about 6h 20m (est.)
First published
2012
Genre
Science Fiction & Fantasy
ISBN-13
9780230765368
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About this book

Savage giant moles, rail pirates, and explorers abound in China Miéville's thrilling young adult novel, Railsea. On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt. The giant mole bursting from the earth, the harpoonists targeting their prey, the battle resulting in one’s death and the other’s glory – are extraordinary. But no matter how spectacular it is, travelling the endless rails of the railsea, Sham senses that there’s more to life. Even if his captain can think only of her obsessive hunt for one savage mole. When they find a wrecked train, it's a welcome distraction. But the impossible salvage Sham finds there leads to trouble. Soon he's hunted on all sides: by pirates, trainsfolk, monsters and salvage-scrabblers. And it might n

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Why widely assigned

This Science Fiction & Fantasy title, typically at grades 5–12. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Common questions

What grade level is Railsea?
Railsea is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Railsea?
It takes about 6h 20m to read Railsea (347 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 380 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Railsea?
Railsea appears on reading lists for Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Railsea banned in schools?
Railsea does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 5–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: read-aloud.
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