
Legend
by Marie Lu
Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 states
Legend by Marie Lu is assigned in US schools at grades 6–9. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Legend is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
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- Grade range
- Grades 6–9
- Age range
- Ages 11–15
- First published
- 2011
- Genre
- Dystopian
- ISBN-13
- 9781101545959
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
In a divided future Republic, a prodigy soldier and the nation's most-wanted criminal collide and uncover a deadly conspiracy. (Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winner.)
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See all books like Legend→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Dystopian title, typically at grades 6–9. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on dystopia and justice; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.
Where this book is assigned
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA)
- recommended·6th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
- recommended·7th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
- recommended·8th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
- recommended·9th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) — Kentucky's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-56-83-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
Nebraska Golden Sower Award
- recommended·6th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
- recommended·7th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
- recommended·8th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · Illinoissource: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)
- recommended·7th grade · Illinoissource: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)
- recommended·8th grade · Illinoissource: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Legend?
- Legend is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign Legend?
- Legend appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA), Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Legend banned in schools?
- Legend 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 Legend explore?
- Central themes in Legend include dystopia, justice, loyalty. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 6–9 — 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 3 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.