Beloved
Beloved by Toni Morrison is assigned in US schools at grades 11–12, with a Lexile measure of 870L. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Beloved is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 870L
- Grade range
- Grades 11–12
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 11–CCR band (1185–1385L)
- Age range
- Ages 16–18
- Pages
- 324
- Reading time
- about 5h 55m (est.)
- First published
- 1987
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9781400033416
Reading difficulty: At 870L, Beloved reads below the typical 1185–1385L text-complexity range for 11th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.
Where to find this book
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About this book
Set after the Civil War in Cincinnati, Morrison's novel follows Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman haunted — literally — by the daughter she killed to keep her from being returned to slavery. The nonlinear narrative moves between memory and present and won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is commonly taught in AP Literature and 12th-grade English.
Why widely assigned
This Literary Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 11–12. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on slavery and its aftermath and motherhood; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.
Themes
slavery and its aftermath · motherhood · memory and trauma · identity · community · the supernatural
Content notes
graphic depictions of slavery · sexual violence · infanticide · physical abuse
Common Sense Media recommends age 16+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
IB Diploma Programme — English A: Literature
Similar grade-level books
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury · 890L
See all books like Beloved→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Beloved?
- Beloved is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 11–12, with a Lexile measure of 870L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Beloved?
- Beloved has a Lexile measure of 870L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read Beloved?
- It takes about 5h 55m to read Beloved (324 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 355 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Beloved hard to read for 11th grade?
- At 870L, Beloved reads below the typical 1185–1385L text-complexity range for 11th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- What curricula assign Beloved?
- Beloved appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA), IB Diploma Programme — English A: Literature. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 870L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 11–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- Documented as challenged or removed in 6 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.