"The Body"

The cover from a 2018 edition of the story.

Title: "The Body"

Author: by Stephen King

Lexile Level: 1050-1220

Qualitative Level: (Based on SCASS Qualitative Measures Rubric: LITERATURE or SCASS Qualitative Measures Rubric: INFORMATIONAL TEXTS)

  • TEXT STRUCTURE: Moderately Complex
  • LANGUAGE FEATURES: Moderately Complex
  • MEANING/PURPOSE: Moderately Complex
  • KNOWLEDGE DEMANDS: Moderately Complex

Source: King, S. (1982). The body. In Different Seasons. New York, NY: Viking Press.

Format or text type: Short Story

Summary & Justification: This text tells the story of four boys on the verge of young adulthood. It is set at the end of summer and their years in elementary school. The characters embark on a journey to find the dead body of a boy who has gone missing. The boys are moving from a relatively safe, comfortable childhood into the uncertainties of adulthood relying only on each other to make the passage.

Additional useful notes:

  • Independent, at grade level.