Level a Book Characteristics

Level A – book characteristics

n  Simple story line
n  Good picture clues
n  High frequency words are repeated
n  On to two lines of text
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Book Samples

I Paint - Rigby (Literacy 2000)

Look – Wright Group (Sunshine)
One Hunter – by Pat Hutchins
Look What I Can Do – by Jose Aruego
Trees – Wright Group (Twig)
The Seed – Wright Group (Wonder World)

Level B – book characteristics

n  Simple story line
n  Good picture clues
n  High frequency words are repeated
n  On to two lines of text
n  Level B more words, more lines of text
Book Samples
Ball Game – Rigby (Literacy 2000)

Barney’s Horse by Syd Hoff

Green Grass – Wright Group (Storybox)
Have You Seen my Cat? – by Eric Carle
Have You Seen my Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
What is Red? – Rigby (Literacy 2000)
Level C – Book Characteristics
n  Simple story lines
n  Two to five lines
n  Less picture clues
n  Print appears on both left and right pages
n  More high frequency words
Book Samples
Dan the Flying Man – Wright Group (Read-Togethers)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear – by Bill Martin
Rain – by Robert Kalan
Mud Pie - Rigby (Literacy 2000)
I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Flight Deck – Wright Group (Wonder World)
Level D – Book Characteristics
n  Stories more complex
n  Illustrations are supportive, but more attention to the print is required
n  Two to six lines
n  Vocabulary contains endings (-ing, ed, -s)
Book Samples
Animal Tracks – Wright Group (Wonder World)
The Bulldozer – Wright Group (Sunshine)
Just Like Dad by Monica Hiris
My Messy Room by Mary Packard
My Skin – Wright Group (Wonder World)
Level E – Book Characteristics
n  Three to eight lines
n  Ideas in stories more subtle and may require more interpretation
n  The text carries the story line
n  Vocabulary requires skill in word analysis (look for chunks)
n  Full variety of punctuation is evident
Book Samples
Around My School – Rigby (Exp. Histoy/Geog.)
It Looked Like Spilled Milk – by Charles Shaw
Mrs. Wishy Washy – Wright Group (Storybox)
Patterns – Rigby (Literacy 2000)
In a Dark, Dark Wood – by David Carter
Level F – Book Characteristics
n  Print is somewhat smaller
n  Three to eight lines
n  Story lines include more episodes (actions and events), which follow one another chronologically.
n  Some characters more fully developed
n  Text has distinct beginning, middle, and end
Book Samples
Are You There, Bear? – by Ron Maris
Cookies’ Week – by Cindy Ward

Itchy Itchy Chicken Pox – Scholastic (Hello Reader)

Hooray for Snail – by John Stadler
Soccer Game – Scholastic (Hello Reader)
Just Like Daddy – by Frank Asch
I Wonder Why? - Wright Group (Wonder World)
Level G – Book Characteristics
n  Contains more challenging ideas and vocabulary
n  Four to eight lines
n  New vocabulary is introduced
n  Level H: Similar to G, but the language and vocabulary is more complex; stories longer and more literary, and there is less repetition in the episodic structure
Book Samples
The Carrot Seed – by Ruth Krauss
Biscuit – by Alyssa Satincapucilli
Buzzzzzz Said the Bee – Scholastic (Hello Reader)
Face Painting – Wright Group (Wonder World)
The Great Race – by David McPhail
Level H – Book Characteristics
n  Contains more challenging ideas and vocabulary
n  Four to eight lines
n  New vocabulary is introduced
n  Level H: Similar to G, but the language and vocabulary is more complex; stories longer and more literary, and there is less repetition in the episodic structure
Book Samples
Building a House – by Byron Barton
Cats and Mice – by Rita Gelman
Dear Tom – Wright Group (Wonder World)
Just Me and My Dad – by Mercer Mayer
The Cake That Mack Ate – by Robart/Kovalski
Level I – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genre, including some informational ones
n  Events more elaborate
n  Readers need to understand different points of view
n  Longer texts; more sentences per page
n  Characters are memorable
Book Samples
The Napping House – by Don and Audrey Wood
Whole in Harry’s Pocket – Houghton Mifflin (Little Readers)
Tidy Titch – by Pat Hutchins
Henny Penny – by Paul Galdone
Red is Best – by Kathy Stinson
Bird Beaks – Wright Groups (Wonder World)
Level J – Book Characteristics
n  Stories longer and more complex
n  Variety of genre – nonfiction, folktales, realistic stories, etc.
n  Beginning chapter books
n  Books (30-60 pages)
n  Some too long to read in one sitting
n  Reader needs to figure out
n  How characters reveal their personality or development through the way they speak (inference)
Book Samples
Henry and Mudge – by Cynthia Rylant

Fox series – by James Marshall

Charlie Needs a Cloak – by Tomi DePaola
Mr. Putter books - by Cynthia Rylant
Poppleton – by Cythia Rylant
Level K – Book Characteristics
n  Easy chapterlike books usually have pictures on every page or every other page
n  Amount of text on page varies
n  Illustrations support and extend the text and enhance interpretation
n  Have large illustrations with about 10-15 lines of print
Book Samples
Nate the Great series – by Margaret Sharmat
Arthur books - by Lillian Hoban
Frog and Toad books – by Arnold Lobel
Sheila Rae the Brave – by Kevin Henkes
Snakes – Wright Group (Foundations)
Level L – Book Characteristics
n  Longer chapter books with only a few illustrations
n  Pictures provide less support
n  More characters in plots, more sophisticated language structures, more detail and more description
n  Text size is smaller and word spacing is narrower
n  Reading a book must be sustained over several days and is supported by group discussion during and after
Book Samples
Amelia Bedelia series - by Peggy Parish
Cam Jansen series – by David Adler
Horrible Harry series – by Suzy Kline
Pee Wee Scouts series – by Judy Delton
Miss Nelson books – by Harry Allard
Pinky and Rex series – by James Howe
First Start Biogrpaphies (Troll)ex.Young Arthur Ashe
Level M – Book Characteristics
n  Books are long, with lots of text per page, smaller print, and narrower word spacing
n  Complex language structures and sophisticated vocabulary
n  Highly detailed and descriptive
n  Require more background knowledge
n  Expanded plots; character development
Book Samples
Arthur books by Marc Brown
Alien books by S. SpinnerMarvin Redpost by Louis Sachar
Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Parks
The Littles series by John Peterson
Bailey School Kids series by D. Dadey
Level N – Book Characteristics
n  Longer text in a variety of genres
n  Chapter books
n  Characters developed through literary devices
n  Informational books
n  Books offer mystery and suspense
n  Provides opportunity to interpret & go beyond text
n  Expanded vocabulary
n  Topics go beyond child’s own experience
Book Samples
Amber Brown series by Paula Danzinger
Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Bulla
Herbie Jones books by Suzy Kline
Titanic Lost and Found – by Judy Donnely
Level O – Book Characteristics

n  Mature themes and topics beyond their experience

n  Empathetic characters and their lives
n  Sophisticated & varied vocabulary which requires interpretation of meaning (in dialects)
n  Complex sentences with multisyllable words and complex punctuation
Book Samples
Babysitter’s Club – by Ann Martin
Box Car Children – by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Chocolate Fever – by Robert Smith
Flossie and the Fox – by Patricia McKissack
Henry series – by Beverly Cleary
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series - by Betty MacDonald
Ribsy – by Beverly Cleary
Level P – Book Characteristics
n  Longer texts
n  Complex ideas and language
n  Informational
n  Texts include history, biographies & variety of ways to gain information
n  Texts are organized differently (i.e., flashbacks, story within story)
n  Mature themes
Book Samples
Encyclopedia Brown – by Donald and Rose Sobol
Magic School Bus series – by Joanna Coles
Best School Year Ever – by Barbara Robinson
A Taste of Blackberries – by Doris BuchananSmith
Time Warp pack – by John Scieszka
Level Q – Book Characteristics
n  Sophisticated humor complex plots and memorable characters
n  Themes require interpretations
n  Lend themselves to group discussion (illustrations to text also require interpretations
n  Difficult/challenging words & possibly from other languages
n  Longer text
Book Samples
Bunnicula books – by James Howe
If You Lived with a . . . . by Kay Moore
Help, I’m Trapped in . . . by Todd Straster
Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Joshua T. Bates books by Susan Shreve
James and the Giant Peach – by Roald Dahl
Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Richard and Florence Atwater
Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Level R – Book Characteristics
n  Same as Level Q with a wider range of text; historical text, fiction, non-fiction
n  Learning about characters lives different than themselves (different time period or geographic area)
Book Samples
Charlie books by Roald Dahl
Charolette’s Web by E.B. White
Backward Bird Dog by Bill Wallace
Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Banks
How to Eat Fried Worms – by Thomas Rockwell
Phoebe the Spy – by Judith Berry Griffin
Level S – Book Characteristics

n  Wide variety of topics, cultures and historical settings

n  Sentences and paragraphs are complex words with multiple meanings
n  Provides opportunity to make connections with previously read books
Book Samples

Cybil War by Betsy Byars

Poppy books by Avi

My Teacher books by Bruce Coville
The War with Grandpa – by Robert Kimmel Smith
Matilda – by Roald Dahl
Plant That ate Dirty Socks series – Nancy McArthur
Grand Escape – by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Bridge to Terabithia – by Kathryn Patterson
Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
Level T – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
Book Samples
Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Louis
Goosebumps books by R. L. Stine
Frederick Douglas Fights for Freedom by Margaret Davidson
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Cracker Jackson by Betsy Byars
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth Speare
Harriet the Spy by Louis Fitzhugh
Level U – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
n  Themes and content of the story are more complex
Book Samples
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
Julie and the Wolf books by Jean Craighead George
Ginger Pie by Eleanor Estes
Rag Weed by Avi
The View from Saturday by El Konigsburg
Tuck Everlasting – by Natalie Babbitt
Secret Garden – by Frances Burnett
My Side of the Mountain by Jean George
Level V – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
n  Themes and content of the story are more complex
Book Samples
Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowlings
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Holes by Louis Sachar
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’dell
A Long Way From Chicago – by Richard Peck
Rascal by Sterling North
Stealing Home the Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg
Level W – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
n  Themes and content of the story are more complex
Book Samples
Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
Anne Frank Life in Hiding by Joanna Hurwitz
Dragon series by Lawrence Yep
Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Level X – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
n  Themes and content of the story are more complex
Book Samples
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rowls
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic
Level Y – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
n  Themes and content of the story are more complex
Book Samples
Call of the Wild by Jack London
The Giver by Louis Lowry
White Fang – by Jack London
Anne Frank the Diary of a Young Girl – by Anne Frank
The Cookcamp by Gary Paulsen
Level Z – Book Characteristics
n  Variety of genres (informational books, historical fiction, folktales, autobiographies, historical, narrative, realistic fiction, science and fantasy)
n  Longer text requiring sustained interest
n  Sophisticated and multi-syllable words
n  Literal and connotative meaning words
n  Themes and content of the story are more complex
Book Samples
The Hobbit by J.R. Tolken
Beyond Belief by Brad Steiger
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene
The Golden Compass by Philipp Pullman