To find a book that matches your child's Lexile® level, it's easy!

Use this resource available from Scholastic.

Scholastic Book Wizard

1. Select the "Reading Level System" drop down at the top of the page.

2. Click on your child's Lexile® level.

3. Scroll down to find books that your child would enjoy!

General Lexile® Level guidelines - (aka How do I know what my student should be reading?)

There are a number of conversion charts online to choose from. Each differ somewhat as to the Lexile vs. "Grade Level". The following is an acceptable version, that we will use in class.

NC: Non-Conforming

Sometimes, high-ability readers have trouble finding books that challenge their reading skills but still have age-appropriate content. The NC code helps identify these books, which have received a higher Lexile text measure but are appropriate for a younger audience.

For example, Seymour Simon’s Amazing Aircraft (SeaStar Books) is coded NC900L. Its spine reads “grades 1-3,” but its Lexile measure is higher than a typical early elementary school student’s ability range. This book might be hard to read for most students in grades 1-3, but engaging and challenging for students with above-average reading abilities. Therefore, the book is coded as NC (non-conforming) and would be appropriate for a student in grades 1-3 with a Lexile reader measure at or near 900L.

HL: High-Low

A text designated as “HL” has a Lexile text measure much lower than the average reading ability of the intended age range of its readers. Librarians and booksellers sometimes refer to young adult books with disproportionately low Lexile measures as “high-low” books, meaning “high-interest” plus “low-readability.” These books receive an HL code. Fiction HL books are often useful when matching older (grade seven and beyond) struggling or reluctant readers with text at both an appropriate difficulty level and an appropriate developmental level.

Despite their short sentences and basic vocabulary, HL books are designed to appeal to readers at a more mature developmental level. For example, Beth Goobie’s Sticks and Stones (Orca Soundings) is classified as a young adult book and measures 430L — the average Lexile reader measure for second graders. The book’s characters are high-school students who struggle with the many challenges that face high-school students such as dating and gossip. Therefore, the book is coded HL430L.

IG: Illustrated Guide

The IG code is applied to books that consist of independent pieces or sections of text such as in an encyclopedia or glossary. These text pieces could be moved around without affecting the overall linear flow of the book. Nonfiction IG books are often used as a reference resource rather than read in their entirety like a storybook. Their distinguishing text characteristics include:

• technical vocabulary, definitions and pronunciation guides in parentheses or contrasting type
• integration of illustrations and diagrams into the text
• pull-quotes, factoids and other categorical marginalia
• the presentation of each discrete topic on one to two pages

These text characteristics do not necessarily impact reading comprehension or developmental appropriateness. Instead, the IG code conveys an idea of the kind of book and what the book typically will be used for in the classroom or library

Birds of Prey by Dr. Gerald Legg (Franklin Watts Library) is coded IG. Separate paragraphs are arranged upon the page, functioning more like multiple-sentence captions. A particular reading order is neither indicated by the layout nor important to comprehension. Thus the book measure is IG980L.

GN: Graphic Novel

The GN code indicates that the book is a graphic novel or comic book. The text of GN books appears primarily in voice or thought bubbles integrated into comic book-style illustrations. Graphic novels tend to contain a larger percentage of dialogue than most other genres of books. They also typically lack some of the required text conventions of dialogue, such as putting “she said” after a quoted sentence, because illustrations are used to indicate spoken text. The impact of picture support on reading comprehension is not captured in the Lexile measure of a graphic novel. To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel (Aladdin), written by Siena Cherson Siegel and illustrated by Mark Siegel, is coded as GN610L.

BR: Beginning Reader

Beginning Reader (BR) is a code given to readers and text that are below 0L on the Lexile scale. In some cases, for readers, a BR code is followed by a number and L (e.g., BR150L). A Lexile reader measure of BR150L indicates that the Lexile measure of the reader is 150 units below 0L. The lower the number following the BR code, the more advanced the reader or text is. The higher the number, the less complex the text is or less skilled the reader is.

Note that Beginning Reader (BR) is the only Lexile code that applies to both readers and text. All other codes apply only to text.

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (Random House) is a BR book with a Lexile measure of BR50L.

NP: Non-Prose

Some books don’t receive Lexile text codes because they aren’t prose. These books might feature poems, plays, songs, recipes and text with non-standard or absent punctuation. The NP code is for any book comprising more than 50% non-standard or non-conforming prose. NP books do not receive a Lexile measure, merely the NP code.

An example of a book coded NP is Maurice Sendak’s Alligators All Around (HarperTrophy). The text of the book is not in complete sentences and lacks punctuation entirely. The text difficulty of such a book cannot currently be assigned a Lexile measure.

https://lexile.com/parents-students/find-books-at-the-right-level/about-lexile-text-codes/