Black Boy
by Richard Wright
- Lexile
- 950L
- Grade range
- Grades 9–12
- Age range
- Ages 14–18
- Pages
- 448
- First published
- 1945
- Genre
- Memoir
- ISBN-13
- 9780061443084
About this book
Richard Wright's 1945 memoir of growing up Black in the Jim Crow South and moving north during the Great Migration. A Common Core Appendix B exemplar for grades 9-10 and widely assigned in 11th grade American literature units alongside Their Eyes Were Watching God and Invisible Man.
Themes
- race
- identity
- poverty
- great migration
- education
Content notes
- racial violence
- poverty
- family abuse
Common Sense Media recommends age 14+.
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Black Boy?
- Black Boy is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12, with a Lexile measure of 950L. 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 Black Boy?
- Black Boy has a Lexile measure of 950L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- Is Black Boy banned in schools?
- Black Boy does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Black Boy explore?
- Central themes in Black Boy include race, identity, poverty, great migration, education. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.