About ReadingList

ReadingList answers one question: which books are assigned in US schools, by grade, state, and curriculum? US reading-list information is scattered across state DOE websites, College Board AP frameworks, IB subject briefs, Cambridge syllabi, and thousands of individual school-district pages. Parents, teachers, and homeschoolers need a single place to see it.

What we cover

Every page focuses on structured factual data: book title, author, Lexile measure, grade range, and the specific curriculum or state document that references it. We do not write book reviews, study guides, essay prompts, or plot summaries.

  • Curriculum frameworks — Common Core State Standards (ELA), AP (College Board), IB Diploma Programme, Cambridge Assessment International.
  • All 50 US states — state-level ELA standards from TEKS (Texas), B.E.S.T. (Florida), NY Next Generation Learning Standards, and every other state DOE.
  • All K-12 grades — from emergent readers through 12th grade.
  • Individual book detail pages with Open Library ISBN metadata, Lexile ranges, themes, and content notes.

Sources & verification

Every assignment claim links to a primary source — the state DOE page, AP Central course framework, or IB subject brief where the book is cited. We cite the URL and the specific section name on every row so you can trace it back yourself. The footer on every page lists the data sources used across the site.

Book metadata (ISBN, cover, publication year, page count) comes from Open Library and Google Books APIs. Lexile measures are sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub when available.

What we don’t do

  • We don’t require accounts or logins.
  • We don’t sell books, take affiliate commissions, or link to retailers. Revenue comes from display ads on article pages.
  • We don’t publish book summaries, study guides, essay prompts, or test prep material.
  • We don’t publish user reviews or comments. The data here is factual reference, not opinion.
  • We don’t use AI to generate book descriptions or editorial articles. Human-written only.

Editorial policy

Book descriptions are our own plain-factual summaries (author, setting, central question) — we don’t copy jacket copy or Google Books blurbs. Guide articles (e.g., “What is Lexile?”) are written by humans and cite peer-reviewed or authoritative sources (NCTE, ALA, MetaMetrics, School Library Journal).

Content notes on book pages reflect what teachers and parents commonly flag — not our opinion about suitability. Each family’s standards are their own.

How we make money

Display ads on content pages (Google AdSense initially, then Mediavine Journey, then Raptive as we grow). No affiliate links, no sponsored posts, no paid placements in reading lists. What appears on a grade or state hub is determined by the cited sources, not by who paid.

Questions or corrections

Spot a miscited book or a state framework we’ve missed? Tell us via the contact page.