Margarita Engle’s verse novels set in Cuba are typically at Lexile levels of 1000-1300 because of the density of the language, not the actual difficulty of the books. Lexile levels become even more problematic with novels in verse, often overestimating the complexity of these books due to the careful and dense use of language. Of course, none of these levels account for the knowledge brought by the reader to the book for example, a teen who has read extensively about WWII in comparison to a teen with little experience or interest in history and historical fiction or a reader who is a cultural insider to Eastern Europe. The story is told through multiple voices, greatly increasing the difficulty of the book, but the extensive use of dialogue results in a Lexile level of only 560, way below the actual teen audience for the issues and situations in this book. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys focuses on refugees fleeing from the advancing Soviet army at the end of WWII. Many of the global books most appropriate for Grades 9-10 or 11-12 were at a lower level than the identified Lexile range, just as occurred with classic texts. While it might be read by a few third graders, it is clearly most appropriate for students in Grades 4-5. This historical fiction novel is 316 pages long and raises difficult issues of abuse, war and physical disabilities for a child sent from London to the countryside during WWII. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, has a Lexile level of 580, which would put the book in a Grade 2-3 band. These same issues are apparent in global literature selected to pair with the exemplar texts. Many of the classic texts frequently read in high school, such as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, if measured only by Lexile would fall into Grades 2-3 or 4-5 but are texts with multiple layers of meaning and difficult issues that challenge readers in Grades 11-12. The lower Lexile level for this book results from the reliance on dialogue, which includes more familiar words and short sentences. Lexiles are viewed as inappropriate for K-1 fiction texts.Ī close examination reveals that Lexile levels often underestimate the actual complexity of fiction, particularly the complex narratives often read in high school, like The Grapes of Wrath, whose Lexile level would place it in the Grade 2-3 band, clearly an inappropriate level given the conceptual density of the ideas and plot.The Lexile band for Grades 2-3 is 420-820, with 3 out of 13 fiction exemplars below that level, and 1 above that level band.The Lexile band for Grades 4-5 is 740-1010, with 3 out of 10 fiction exemplars below that level.The Lexile band for Grades 6-8 is 925-1185, with 5 out of 9 fiction exemplars below that level.The Lexile band for Grades 9-10 is 1050-1335 but 10 out of 13 fiction exemplar texts fall below those levels with the lowest as The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck at 680.In fact, of the 15 exemplar texts identified by Common Core, 11 are below 1185. The fiction exemplar texts identified by Common Core range from 730 ( Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway) to 1430 ( Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville). The first issue becomes apparent in charting the Lexile levels of the fiction books used by the Common Core as exemplars of a specific complexity is that many of these books fall below the Lexile levels identified for a grade level band. Other issues emerge with a close examination of the actual Lexile levels of exemplar texts and global literature. These assumptions can be challenged from many perspectives, including the lack of research to support this position (Allington, McCuiston, & Billen, 2015). Teachers who do not challenge their students to read books within these bands are viewed as negligent in their teaching of reading and as handicapping students. The assumption is that readers at each grade level band need to read books within specific Lexile levels or their reading achievement will be negatively affected. has placed a great deal of emphasis on Lexile levels as a means of determining the appropriateness of a book for a reader, using Lexiles to determine the complexity of a text. By Kathy Short, The University of Arizona

560 lexile igrade and ar