Cover of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

by Mildred D. Taylor

Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 7 states

On reading-award lists:Newbery MedalPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8, with a Lexile measure of 920L. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 7 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Lexile
920L
Grade range
Grades 6–8
Difficulty for grade
Below the grade 6–8 band (925–1185L)
Age range
Ages 11–14
Pages
276
Reading time
about 5h 5m (est.)
First published
1976
Genre
Historical Fiction
ISBN-13
9780142401125

Reading difficulty: At 920L, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 6th 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.

Reading below grade level? Kids who struggle with the print version often finish the assigned book by listening — try the audiobook free with a 30-day Audible trial. Affiliate link · trial for new members.

New to these terms? What is a Lexile level? · Reading levels by grade · What is the Newbery Medal?

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

About this book

Nine-year-old Cassie Logan narrates a year on her family's Mississippi farm during the Great Depression, as her family fights to keep their land and their dignity under Jim Crow. Taylor's Newbery-winning novel is a staple of 6th-8th grade American history literature pairings.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Historical Fiction title, reads at young-adult to upper-middle-grade complexity, typically at grades 6–8. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on Jim Crow South and family and land; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

Jim Crow South · family and land · racial injustice · childhood awareness · dignity and resistance

Content notes

racial violence · racial slurs (historical context) · threat of lynching

Common Sense Media recommends age 11+.

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8, with a Lexile measure of 920L. 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry has a Lexile measure of 920L 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
It takes about 5h 5m to read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (276 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 305 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry hard to read for 6th grade?
At 920L, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 6th 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Newbery Medal, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
920L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 6–8 — 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 7 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: award-winner, book-club, summer.

Keep browsing