GUIDED READING LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS
AND SUGGESTED AUTHORS
LEVELS N – O – P
Characteristics of text at these higher levels include: greater number of pages
(100+), lots of text per page and few if any pictures, smaller print and narrower
word spacing, wide variety of texts with complex language structures and
sophisticated vocabulary, highly detailed and descriptive and present abstract
concepts and themes, subtleties of these texts require more background
knowledge, greater variety and number of primary and secondary characters.
N
Tomie De Paola, Janice Lee Smith (Adam Joshua series)
Paula Danziger (Amber Brown)
Dan Greenburg (The Zack Files series)
Joanna Hurwitz (Nora series)
James Preller (The Case of Hermie . . . series)
Ursula LeGuin (Catwings stories)
Ann Cameron (Julian stories)
Charlotte Herman (Max Malone stories)
O
Joanna Hurwitz (Aldo Applesauce series and other stories)
Dean Hughes (Angel Park series)
Beverly Cleary (Henry, Beezus and Ramona series)
Betsy Byars (Blossom series)
Parker Hinter (Clue Jr. series)
Childhood of Famous Americans series
Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking series)
Jean Betancourt (Pony Pals series)
Ann Martin (Stacey series)
P
John Erickson (The Case of . . . series)
Roald Dahl stories
Gary Paulsen stories
Donald Sobel (Encyclopedia Brown series)
Joanna Cole (Magic Schoolbus series)
Jean Craighead George (One Day . . . series)
Louis Sachar (Wayside School series)
Jon Scieszka (Time Warp Trio series)
Books Arranged by Guided Reading Level
These trade books are available at many public libraries as well as bookstores.
If you don’t know your student’s guided reading level, scan the titles until you find books
your student can read independently and try other books at the same level.
Guided Reading Level N
A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy
Abraham Lincoln: President of a Divided Country by Carol Green
Adam Joshua Capers series by Janice L. Smith
Amber Brown series by Paula Danziger
Amphibians by Adele Richardson
Ankylosaurus by Daniel Cohen
Anna, Grandpa, and the Big Storm by Carla Stevens
Apatosaurus by Daniel Cohen
Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke
Australia by Katie Bagley
Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber
Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes
Behind the Couch by Mordicai Gerstein
Benjamin Franklin: a Man with Many Jobs by Carol Greene
Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett
Black Elk: a Man with a Vision by Carol Greene
Blackberries in the Dark by Mavis Jukes
The Boonsville Bombers by Alison Herzig
Buffalo Woman by Paul Goble
Busybody Nora by Johanna Hurwitz
The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster by James Preller
The Case of the Spooky Sleepover by James Preller
Catwings by Ursula LeGuin
Christopher Columbus: a Great Explorer by Carol Greene
The Cloud Book by Tomie DePaola
Danger Guys by Tony Abbott
Daniel Boone: Man of the Forests by Carol Greene
Don’t Call Me Beanhead by Susan Wojciechowski
Elizabeth Blackwell: First Woman Doctor by Carol Greene
Elizabeth the First: Queen of England by Carol Greene
The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
Europe by Mike Graf
Everglades National Park by Mike Graf
Experiment with Water by Bryan Murphy
Favorite Greek Myths by Mary P. Osborne
Figure Skating by Larry Brimner
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates by Susan Shreve
Fly Homer Fly by Bill Peet
The Forgotten Heroes: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers by Clinton Cox
The Gadget War by Ann Douglas
George Washington Carver: Scientist and Teacher by Carol Greene
George Washington: First President of the U.S. by Carol Greene
A Gift for Mama by Esther Hautzig
A Glass Slipper for Rosie by Patricia R. Giff
Golf by Christin Ditchfield
Good Dog, Bonita by Patricia R. Giff
Hannah by Gloria Whelan
Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks
Hey, New Kid by Betsy Duffey
The House on Walenska Street by Charolotte Herman
How a Book Is Made by Aliki
How Is a Crayon Made? by Frank Oz
How to Be Cool in the Third Grade by Betsy Duffey
Ice Hockey by Christin Ditchfield
Invisible Stanley by Jeff Brown
It Takes a Village by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Jackie Robinson and the Story of All-Black Baseball by Jim O’Connor
Jenius – the Amazing Guinea Pig by Dick King-Smith
Johann Sebastian Back: Great Man of Music by Carol Greene
John Chapman: the Man Who Was Johnny Appleseed by Carol Greene
John Philip Souza: the March King by Carol Greene
Julian series by Ann Cameron
Katherine Dunham, Black Dancer by Carol Greene
Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Author of the Little House Books by Carol Greene
The Leftovers series by Tristan Howard
Lemurs, Lorises, and Other Lower Primates by Patricia Martin
Leontyne Price: Opera Superstar by Sylvia Williams
Lili the Brave by Jennifer Armstrong
Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Kate Waters
Llama Pajamas by Susan Clymer
Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind by Margaret Davidson
Ludwig van Beethoven: Musical Pioneer by Carol Greene
Luke’s Bully by Elizabeth Winthrop
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl
Martin Luther King, Jr.: a Man Who Changed Things by Carol Greene
Max Malone series by Charlotte Herman
Microscopes by Adele Richardson
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston
My Name Is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
The Mystery of the Phantom Pony by Lynn Hall
Next Spring an Oriole by Gloria Whelan
Not-So-Perfect Rosie by Patricia R. Giff
Pioneer Cat by William Hooks
Pirate’s Promise by Clyde Bulla
Pitching Trouble by Stephen Kroll
Pompeii… Buried Alive by Edith Kunhardt
Pteranodon by Daniel Cohen
Puppy Love by Betsy Duffey
Rachel Carson: Friend of Nature by Carol Greene
Return of the Home Run Kid by Matt Christopher
Roberto Clemente: Baseball Superstar by Carol Greene
Rumpelstiltskin by Paul Zelinsky
Save the Manatee by Alison Friesinger
School’s Out by Johanna Hurwitz
Second Chance by Stephen Kroll
Shadow of the Wolf by Gloria Whelan
Shark Lady: The Adventures of Eugenie Clark by Ann McGovern
Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Bulla
Sidewalk Story by Sharon Mathis
Silver by Gloria Whelan
Someone Is Following Pip Ramsey by Ron Roy
Something Queer mystery series by Elizabeth Levy
Song Lee series by Suzy Kline
Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Bulla
Stanley and the Magic Lamp by Jeff Brown
Stegosaurus by Daniel Cohen
Striped Ice Cream by Joan Lexau
The Summer Olympics by Bob Knotts
Telescopes by Adele Richardson
Tennis by Christin Ditchfield
Thomas Jefferson: Author, Inventor, President by Carol Greene
Throw-Away Pets by Betsy Duffey
Thurgood Marshall: First Black Supreme Court Justice by Carol Greene
The Titanic, Lost… and Found by Judy Donnelly
To the Top! by Sydelle A. Kramer
A Toad for Tuesday by Russell Erickson
Triceratops by Daniel Cohen
The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War by Emily Little
True-Life Treasure Hunts by Judy Donnelly
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola
Volleyball by Christin Ditchfield
Voting by Sarah De Capua
Walking the Road to Freedom by Jeri Ferris
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar
What Makes a Bird a Bird? by May Garelick
What’s the Matter, Kelly Beans? by Judith Enderle
White Bird by Clyde Bulla
Winter Olympics by Larry Brimner
Witch Hunt: It Happened in Salem Village by Stephen Krensky
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Musical Genius by Carol Greene
Wolves: Life in the Pack by Lola Schaefer
Working Cotton by Sherley Williams
Wrong Way Around Magic by Ruth Chew
Yellowstone National Park by Mike Graf
Yosemite National Park by Mike Graf
You’re Out by Stephen Kroll
Guided Reading Level O
The Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein by Johanna Hurwitz
Aldo series, Johanna Hurwitz
All about Sam by Lois Lowry
Allen Jay and the Underground Railroad by Marlene Brill
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? By Jean Fritz
Angel Park Soccer Stars series by Dean Hughes
Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros
The Arctic Ocean by Anne Ylvisaker
The Atlantic Ocean by Anne Ylvisaker
Aunt Clara Brown: Official Pioneer by Linda Lowery
Baseball Fever by Johanna Hurwitz
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Baseball’s Best, Five True Stories by Andrew Gutelle
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Benjamin Banneker by Ginger Wadsworth
The Blind Pony by Jeanne Betancourt
The Blossoms Meet the Vulture Lady by Betsy Byars
Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema
The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude C. Warner
Bugs by Nancy Parker
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz
The Case of the Dirty Bird by Gary Paulsen
Charles Lindbergh by Lucile Davis
Chocolate Fever by Robert Smith
Class Clown by Johanna Hurwitz
Corn Is Maize by Aliki
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
Cowpokes and Desperadoes by Gary Paulsen
Davy Crockett by Kathy Feeney
Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl
Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes by Louis Sachar
Dragon Bones by Paul Hindman
Earthworms by Kevin Holmes
Einstein Anderson, Science Detective series by Seymour Simon
Eleven Kids, One Summer by Ann M. Martin
Elizabeth Cady Stanton by Lucile Davis
Face-Off by Matt Christopher
The Finch’s Fabulous Furnace by Roger Drury
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack
Foolish Gretel by Jennifer Armstrong
The Fortune-tellers by Lloyd Alexander
Frederick Douglass by Margo McLoone
George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff
The Ghost Pony by Jeanne Betancourt
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
Good Grief Third Grade by Colleen McKenna
Gorgonzola Zombies in the Park by Elizabeth Levy
The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz
Gymnastics by Christin Ditchfield
Happily Ever After by Anna Quindlen
The Haunting of Grade Three by Grace Maccarone
Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary
Her Seven Brothers by Paul Goble
Herbie Jones series by Suzy Kline
Here Comes McBroom by Sid Fleischman
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Jason and the Aliens Down the Street by Greg Greer
The Key to the Playhouse by Carol York
The King’s Equal by Katherine Paterson
Lake Huron by Anne Ylvisaker
Lake Michigan by Anne Ylvisaker
Lavender by Karen Hesse
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola
Like Jake and Me by Mavis Jukes
Lions by Kevin J. Holms
Lucretia Mott by Lucile Davis
Ma and Pa Dracula by Ann Martin
Make a Wish, Molly by Barbara Cohen
Malcolm X by Lucile Davis
Martial Arts by Bob Knotts
Mary McLeod Bethune by Margo McLoone
Maxie, Rosie and Earl – Partners in Grime by Barbara Park
McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm by Sid Fleischman
Mieko and the Fifth Treasure by Eleanor Coerr
Moons by Gregory Vogt
Moonwalk – the First Trip to the Moon by Judy Donnelly
The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald
Much Ado about Aldo by Johanna Hurwitz
Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
Mystery on October Road by Alison Herzig
The Night Crossing by Karen Ackerman
No One Is Going to Nashville by Mavis Jukes
The Not-Just-Anybody Family by Betsy Byars
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
The Pacific Ocean by Anne Ylvisaker
Patrick Doyle is Full of Blarney by Jennifer Armstrong
Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Ramona series by Beverly Cleary
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Socks by Beverly Cleary
Sojourner Truth by Margo McLoone
Spider Kane and the Mystery Under the May Apple by Mary P. Osborne
Stay away from Simon! by Carol Carrick
The Story of Benjamin Franklin by Margaret Davidson
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Susan B. Anthony by Lucile Davis
The Swamp of the Hideous Zombies by Geoffrey Hayes
Talk about a Family by Eloise Greenfield
Ten True Animal Rescues by Jeanne Betancourt
They Led the Way: 14 American Women by Joanna Johnston
Tornado by Betsy Byars
Track and Field by Bob Knotts
Tyrannosaurus Rex by Daniel Cohen
The Vicar of Nibbleswick by Roald Dahl
Virtual Fred by Vincent Courtney
Wall of Names: The Story of the Viet Vets Memorial by Judy Donnelly
Walt Disney by June Preszler
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Wingman by Daniel Pinkwater
Wrestling by Christin Ditchfield
Guided Reading Level P
Against the Odds by Joe Layden
All About Sam by Lois Lowry
Amazing but True Sports Stories by Phyllis Hollander
Attaboy Sam by Lois Lowry
Baby Island by Carol R. Brink
A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Book of Black Heroes from A to Z by Wade Hudson
The Bicycle Man by Allen Say
Bunnicula by James Howe
The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown by Betsy Byars
The Canada Geese Quilt by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Circle of Gold by Candy Boyd
The Daring Rescue of Marlon the Swimming Pig by Susan Saunders
The Dragon series by Jackie Koller
Eddie and the Fire Engine by Carolyn Haywood
Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary
Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary
Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald Sobol
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Felicia the Critic by Ellen Conford
Felita by Nicholasa Mohr
Finding the Titanic by Robert Ballard
Five Brave Explorers by Wade Hudson
Five Notable Inventors by Wade Hudson
The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key
George Washington’s Breakfast by Jean Fritz
George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl
Gerbilitis by Stephanie Spinner
The Ghost Fox by Laurence Yep
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl
A Girl Called Al by Constance Greene
A Head Full of Notions: A Story about Robert Fulton by Andy Bowen
Helen Keller by Stewart Graff
Hot Fudge Hero by Pat Brisson
Howliday Inn by James Howe
The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon B. Mathis
Hurricanes: Wild Weather by Lorri Hopping
If You Grew Up with Abraham Lincoln by Ann McGovern
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War by Kay Moore
If You Lived With the Sioux Indians by Ann McGovern
If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island by Ellen Levine
The Indian School by Gloria Whelan
It’s Mine! by Leo Lionni
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang by Mordecai Richler
Jazz, Pizzazz, and the Silver Threads by Mary Quattlebaum
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Walter and Mildred Pitts
Koi’s Python by Miriam Moore and Penny Taylor
Koya Delaney and the Good Girl Blues by Eloise Greenfield
Last Chance for Magic by Ruth Chew
Last Look by Clyde Bulla
A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Bulla
The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland
The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole
The Magic Squad and the Dog of Great Potential by Mary Quattlebaum
Martin’s Mice by Dick King-Smith
The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds
The Minpins by Roald Dahl
Mixed-Up Max by Dick King-Smith
A Nose for Trouble by Nancy Wilson
Odds on Oliver by Constance Greene
Oh, Brother by Johnnice Wilson
One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest by Jean C. George
Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
The Private Notebook of Katie Roberts, Age 11 by Amy Hest
Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith
Shoebag by Mary James
The Skates of Uncle Richard by Carol Fenner
The Spray-Paint Mystery by Angela Medearis
Stone Fox by John R. Gardiner
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell by Margaret Davidson
The Story of Harriet Tubman by Kate McMullen
The Tales of Olga da Polga by Michael Bond
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
A Taste of Blackberries by Doris B. Smith
Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka
Tornadoes! by Lorraine Hopping
Tut’s Mummy: Lost and Found by Judy Donnelly
Twisters and Other Terrible Storms by Will and Mary P. Osborne
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Wall by Eve Bunting
Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar
Who Stole The Wizard of Oz? by Avi
Wild and Woolly Mammoths by Aliki
Witch’s Cat by Ruth Chew
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka