
Legend
by Marie Lu · Grades 6–9 · Dystopian
Legend by Marie Lu is on US reading lists at grades 6–9. It appears on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists, across 4 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 11–15 · Grades 6–9. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781101545959). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 4 states
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
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.
Reading level at a glance
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 6?
If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
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About this book
Book facts and sources (4)
- On award reading lists
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award (source: floridamediaed.org)
- Nebraska Golden Sower Award (source: nebraskalibraries.org)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award (source: kasl.us)
- Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (source: rebeccacaudill.org)
- Catalog record
- First published 2011 (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger · 790L
See all books like Legend→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This dystopian title is typically read at grades 6–9. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on dystopia and justice; cited on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- 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: 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)
Sunshine State Young Readers Award
- recommended·6th grade · Floridasource: Sunshine State Young Readers Award past winners, 2014 winner (grades 6-8)
- recommended·7th grade · Floridasource: Sunshine State Young Readers Award past winners, 2014 winner (grades 6-8)
- recommended·8th grade · Floridasource: Sunshine State Young Readers Award past winners, 2014 winner (grades 6-8)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Legend?
- Legend is listed for grades 6–9. It appears on 4 state book-award lists across 4 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign Legend?
- Legend appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, and 1 others. 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.
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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 4 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.