Lexile Measures
for
Houghton Mifflin Reading
2008
Anthology Selections
Levels 1–6
March 23, 2007
Lexile Measures for
Anthology Selections: Levels 1 through 6
I. What is the Lexile Framework?
The Lexile Framework™ for Reading is an educational tool that can help to link
text and readers using a common metric. The Lexile Framework characterizes a reader with a
measure (a Lexile) and characterizes text with a measure (also a Lexile). Comparing these
measures can help forecast the level of comprehension a reader will experience with a particular
text.
II. What is a Lexile measure?
A Lexile measure is a number that estimates the reading difficulty of the text based on
vocabulary and sentence length. The Lexile scale ranges from 200 to 1700 Lexiles, although the
actual Lexile measures can range from below zero to above 2000 Lexiles. Some very easy
beginning reading selections may have a Lexile measure of zero or below. These selections are
designated as BR (Beginning Reading) only. Selections that are more than 50% nonstandard
prose, such as poetry or plays, are designated NP.
III. Limitations of Lexile Measures
Lexile measures are based on sentence length and the frequency with which words are
commonly used in English. These factors, while easy to calculate, do not address the
multifaceted nature of conceptual and text design readability. The Lexile Framework does not
measure factors of background knowledge, motivation, interest, graphic support, text structure,
and text density -- all of which can significantly affect the ease with which a student can access a
given text.
The Lexile measures in this document are best used together with other information in
deciding whether a student is likely to access a given text with success. Factors to consider may
include other indicators of reading level, the student's interests and knowledge, vocabulary, text
density, the length of the selection, and others. Many such factors are noted in the Houghton
Mifflin document "Reading Levels of Anthology Selections." The informed judgement of the
teacher is often the most valuable and accurate indicator of whether a student will be able to read
a given text.
IV. Variations in Measures
In some cases, Lexile measures in this document may differ slightly from previously
published Lexile measures for the same reading selection. Variation in measures can be affected
by several factors. Some Anthology selections are chapters or excerpts of longer works, and the
measure for the chapter may be different from that of the complete work. In other cases, the
design treatment of the selection may influence the Lexile measure. For example, if punctuation
is adapted in accommodating a selection to the Anthology format, this change may affect the
Lexile measure.
Lexile Measures for
1st Grade Anthology Selections
THEME 1: All Together Now - Friends do all kinds of things together
Mac the Cat by Nadine Bernard Westcott
A Day at School by Alma Flor Ada
Pigs in a Rig by Helen Lester
I Am Six by Ann Morris
1.1
Here We
Go!
Ten Dogs in the Window by Claire Masurel
Charles Tiger by Siobhan Dodds
THEME 2: Surprise – Things don’t always turn out the way you expect
To Be a Kid by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko
Minerva Louise at School by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen
1.2
Let’s Be
Friends
N/A
THEME 3: Let’s Look Around – Interesting things happen in the world
around us
A Party for Bob by Angela Shelf Medearis
The Bunnies and the Fox by David McPhail
A Surprise for Zig Bug by Pam Munoz Ryan
THEME 4: Family and Friends – Family and friends share good times
An Egg is an Egg by Nicki Weiss
The Secret Code by Dana Meachen Rau
Caribbean Dream by Rachel Isadora
1.3
Surprises
THEME 5: Home Sweet Home (Poetry) - Everyone has a different kind of home
Moving Day by Robert Kalan
310
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
240
The Kite by Alma Flor Ada
50
THEME 6: Animal Adventure - Real and imaginary animals have all kinds of
adventures
The Sleeping Pig by Carmen Tafolla and Jan Epton Seale
330
1.4
EEK! There’s a Mouse in the House by Wong Herbert Yee
200
Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley
290
THEME 7: We Can Work it Out (Plays) – Characters find unique ways to solve
problems
That Toad Is Mine! by Barbara Shook Hazen
220
Lost! by David McPhail
180
Treasures
1.5
Wonders
If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
400
THEME 8: Our Earth - We can all care for and enjoy Earth’s resources
The Forest by Isidro Sánchez
510
Butterfly by Mary Ling
320
Johnny Appleseed by Patricia Demuth
120
THEME 9: Special Friends (Folktales) - Some friendships are extra special
When I am Old with You by Angela Johnson
540
The New Friend by María Puncel
450
The Surprise Family by Lynn Resier
550
THEME 10: We Can Do It – There’s always a way to get something done
Two Greedy Bears by Mirra Ginsburg
450
Fireflies for Nathan by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim
380
“The Hat” from Days With Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
260
Lexile Measures for
2nd
Grade Anthology Selections
THEME 1: Silly stories with funny characters make us laugh
THEME 3: Around Town People work hard to make their neighborhood a
good place to live
2.2
Delights
Chinatown by William Low
540
A Trip to the Firehouse by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
550
Big Bushy Mustache by Gary Soto
430
Jamaica Louise James by Amy Hest
490
THEME 4: Amazing Animals…do everything from the incredible to
hilarious
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
480
Ant by Rebecca Stefoff
620
The Great Ball Game by Joseph Bruchac
510
THEME 5: Family Time (Biography) People in the family learn from and
help one another
Brothers and Sisters by Ellen B. Senisi
540
Jalapeño Bagels by Natasha Wing
600
Carousel by Pat Cummings
430
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
540
THEME 6: Talent Show: Talented people work hard at what they love to
do
The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola
620
Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman
630
The School Mural by Sarah Vazquez
520
CCR Expected Lexile Range
450 - 790
Dragon Gets By by Dav Pilkey
350
Julius by Angela Johnson
520
Mrs. Brown Went to Town by Wong Herbert Lee
NP
2.1
THEME 2: Nature Walk (Fables) Nature can be observed wherever you
are
Adventures Henry & Mudge and the Starry Night by Cynthia Rylant
330
Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett by Alice K. Flanagan
540
Around the Pond: Who’s Been Here? By Lindsay Barrett George
360
Lexile Measures for
3rd
Grade Anthology Selections
THEME 1: Off to Adventure - Adventures come in all shapes and sizes
The Lost and Found by Mark Teague
350
Rewards
610
The Waterfall by Jonathan London
520
THEME 2: Celebrate Traditions - The United States has a rich culture
heritage
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
730
The Talking Cloth by Rhonda Mitchell
550
Dancing Rainbows by Evelyn Clarke Mott
460
THEME 3: Incredible Stories – Some stories are too wild to be believed
Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey
740
The Mysterious Giant of Barletta by Tomie dePaola
580
Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen
620
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg
640
THEME 4: Animal Habitats - Animals coexist with people in a variety of
habitats
Nights of the Pufflings by Bruce McMillan
780
3.2
Horizons
Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman
700
Two Days in May by Harriet Peck Taylor
600
THEME 5: Voyagers (Biographies) – No matter where they travel, voyagers
have a lot in common
Across the Wide Dark Sea by Jean Van Leeuwen
610
Yunmi and Halmoni’s Trip by Sook Nyul Choi
700
Trapped by the Ice! by Michael McCurdy
790
THEME 6: Smart Solutions – Sometimes it helps to look at a problem in a
new way
Pepita Talks Twice by Olivia Dumas Lachtman
480
Poppa’s New Pants by Angela Shelf Medearis
670
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
800
CCR Expected Lexile Range
450 - 790
3.1
The Ballad of Mulan retold by Song Nan Zhang
Lexile Measures for
4th
Grade Anthology Selections
THEME 1: Journeys (Mysteries) – Travelers who learn about the world
and about themselves
Akiak by Robert J. Blake
530
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
620
Finding the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard
500
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
710
4
Traditions
Tanya’s Reunion by Valerie Flournoy
630
Boss of the Plains by Laurie Carlson
800
A Very Important Day by Maggie Rugg Herold
470
THEME 3: That’s Amazing – Fantastic tales ranging from the mysterious
to the hilarious
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
590
Cendrillon by Robert D. San Souci
590
Heat Wave! by Helen Ketteman
680
THEME 4: Problem Solvers (Poetry) – Young People showing initiative,
courage, and cooperation
My Name Is María Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
790
Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathryn Lasky
700
The Last Dragon by Susan Miho Nunes
500
Sing to the Stars by Mary Brigid Barrett
570
THEME 5: Heroes (Pourquoi Tales) – Making a difference with courage,
dignity, and perseverance
Happy Birthday, Dr. King! By Kathryn Jones
400
Gloria Estefan by Sue Boulais
800
Lou Gehrig by David A. Adler
710
THEME 6: Nature, Friend and Foe – People reacting to Nature’s bounty
and brutality
Salmon Summer by Bruce McMillan
690
Wildfires by Seymour Simon
900
Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan
470
CCR Expected Lexile Range
645-845
THEME 2: American Stories (Plays) – The diversity, achievement, and
spirit of the United States
Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
400
Lexile Measures for
5th
Grade Anthology Selections
THEME 1: Nature’s Fury (Tall Tales) – Nature is powerful, and people
must cope with its challenges
Earthquake Terror by Peg Kehret
590
Eye of the Storm by Stephen Kramer
910
Volcanoes by Seymour Simon
850
5
Expeditions
“La Bamba” by Gary Soto
830
The Fear Place by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
740
Mae Jemison: Space Scientist by Gail Sakurai
880
THEME 3: Voices of the Revolution – The spirit of the American
Revolution lives on
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz
790
Katie’s Trunk by Ann Turner
590
“James Forten” by Walter Dean Myers
850
THEME 4: Person to Person (Plays) – Relationships bring both problems
and rewards
Mariah Keeps Cool by Mildred Pitts Walter
540
Mom’s Best Friend by Sally Hobart Alexander
670
Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers by Lensey Namioka
620
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
900
THEME 5: One Land, Many Trails (Autobiography) – The trails to and
across the United States have seen many travelers
A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac
760
Pioneer Girl by Andrea Warren
960
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses by Julius Lester
660
Elena by Diane Stanley
610
THEME 6: Animal Encounters – People and wild animals interact in a
variety of close encounters
The Grizzly Bear Family Book by Michio Hoshino
910
The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home by George Ancona
1030
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
700
CCR Expected Lexile Range
645-845
THEME 2: Give it all You’ve Got (Poetry) – Giving your best requires
both determination and risk
Michelle Kwan by Michelle Kwan
740
Lexile Measures for
6th
Grade Anthology Selections
THEME 1: Courage (Poetry) – People find moral and physical courage
from many sources
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
830
Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki
630
Climb or Die by Edward Myers
580
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
700
6
Triumphs
The Girl Who Married the Moon by Joseph Bruchac
670
Dinosaur Ghosts by J. Lynett Gillette
950
THEME 3: Growing Up – Growing up means learning more about yourself
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
590
Last Summer with Maizon by Jacqueline Woodson
530
The Challenge by Gary Soto
670
The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
740
THEME 4: Discovering Ancient Cultures (Myths) – Nonfiction selections
tell about life in ancient cultures
The Lost Temple of the Aztecs by Shelley Tanaka
720
The Great Wall by Elizabeth Mann
840
Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay by P. and F.
1050
McKissack
THEME 5: Doers & Dreamers (Speeches) – It often take hard work and
determination to fulfill your dreams
A Kind of Grace by Jackie Joyner-Kersee
780
Under the Royal Palms by Alma Flor Ada
1100
Chuck Close Up Close by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
790
THEME 6: New Frontiers, Oceans and Space – The uncharted frontiers of
oceans and space offer new challenges
The Adventures of Sojourner by Susi Trautmann Wunsch
970
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz by Argentina Palacios
1020
Beneath Blue Waters by Deborah Kovacs and Kate Madin
1120
“Out There” by Theodore Taylor
720
CCR Expected Lexile Range
860-1010
THEME 2: What Really Happened (Plays) –Investigation of mysterious
events reveals interesting theories
Amelia Earhart by Jan Parr
850
Kindergarten Themes
THEME 1: Look At Us – We’re getting to know ourselves and each other
THEME 2: Colors All Around – We see beautiful colors everywhere
THEME 3: We’re a Family – Families work, play, and celebrate together
THEME 4: Friends Together - Friends have a lot of fun together
THEME 5: Let’s Count – Numbers are important to us in many ways
THEME 6: Sunshine and Raindrops – Whatever the weather, it affects us every day
THEME 7: Wheels Go Around - Wheels help us work and play, sometimes in unexpected ways
THEME 8: Down on the Farm – The farm is a busy place for animals and for people, too
THEME 9: Spring is Here – Spring is a wonderful season of new growth
THEME 10: A World of Animals - Interesting animals are everywhere