Lexile by 951L to 1080L
Two main factors influence reader engagement – how interesting the books are and how difficult they are to read. Lexile measures are indicators of book difficulty or text complexity. MetaMetrics’ Lexile Framework for Reading calculates a book’s text complexity based on word frequency and sentence length.
According to the Common Core State Standards, students should read books at a Lexile level of 770 or above by the time they are in Grade 4; a Lexile level of 955 or above by the time they are in Grade 6; and a Lexile level of 1080 or above by the time they are in Grade 9. However, some books may have a lower Lexile level but have a highly complex narrative due to their content and length. For this reason, the Common Core State Standards encourage teachers to consider other criteria, such as the plot and character themes and book-length when selecting books for their classroom.
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
The Boy on the Wooden Box
Leon Leyson, one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list, “brings to readers a story of bravery and the fight for a chance to live”.
Call of the Wild/White Fang
The story opens at a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley of California when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
Death Be Not Proud
Johnny Gunther was only seventeen years old when he died of a brain tumor. During the months of his illness, everyone near him was unforgettably impressed by his level-headed courage, his wit and quiet friendliness, and, above all, his unfaltering patience through times of despair.
Falling Leaves
Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval.
Farewell to Manzanar
Along with 10,000 other Japanese Americans, seven-year-old Jeanne Wakatsuki grew up behind barbed wire, under searchlight towers, and with armed guards.
Hatchet
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian survives 54 days in the wilderness, initially with only the aid of a hatchet given to him by his mother.
I Heard the Owl Call My Name
Kingcome’s younger generation is disenchanted and alienated from its heritage. And now, coming upriver is a young vicar, Mark Brian, on a journey of discovery that can teach him-and us- about life, death and the transforming power of love.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
This novel tells the tale of Karana, an Indian girl living on an island off the coast of California. As her tribe evacuates, she suddenly jumps off the ship when she realizes that her brother has been left behind.
Out of the Dust
A tribute to hope and inner strength, fourteen-year-old Billie Jo is dealing with unspeakable loss during the Great Depression.
Parrot in the Oven
Manny, fourteen years old, is confronted with an alcoholic father, friends involved in gangs, and a rough neighborhood. Manny struggles to make the right choices and to somehow belong. Manny, fourteen years old, is confronted with an alcoholic father, friends involved in gangs, and a rough neighborhood. Manny struggles to make the right choices and to somehow belong.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Set in Mississippi during the 1930s, this modern classic portrays the struggles of the Logan family, determined to retain the land they own in the face of threats, harassment, and prejudice.
The Hobbit
In the land of Middle Earth - inhabited by dwarves, elves, goblins, dragons, and humans - Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, encounters many adventures when he is persuaded to join a band of dwarves on an expedition to recover a stolen treasure hidden by a thieving dragon.
The Pearl
The intriguing story of a poor Mexican pearl diver who finds the largest pearl ever seen is a suspenseful reading experience.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Milo, a very bored boy, drives his toy car through a tollbooth that mysteriously appears in his bedroom and arrives in the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he learns the importance of words and numbers, patience and responsibility.