The House on Mango Street

About this book

A young Latina, Esperanza Cordero, narrates a year on Mango Street in Chicago through a series of short vignettes about family, neighbors, and her growing sense of what it means to be a woman and a writer. Cisneros's hybrid of prose and poetic form is widely assigned in middle and early high school for voice and structure analysis.

Why widely assigned

This Coming-of-Age Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 7–10. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on identity and poverty; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

• Common Core State Standards (ELA)

  • recommended·7th grade · New Yorksource: NY Next Gen Learning Standards grade 7 aligned reading
  • recommended·7th grade · Texassource: TEKS grade 7 frequently taught text
  • recommended·8th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 exemplar
  • recommended·8th grade · Californiasource: CA CCSS ELA grade 8 aligned reading
  • required·8th grade · Illinoissource: Chicago PS grade 8 ELA core text (Chicago setting)
  • recommended·9th grade · Illinoissource: Illinois Learning Standards grade 9 aligned reading

Similar grade-level books

• 
  The Outsiders
  S.E. Hinton · 750L
• 
  Lord of the Flies
  William Golding · 770L
• 
  The Great Gatsby
  F. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
• 
  1984
  George Orwell · 1090L

See all books like The House on Mango Street→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is The House on Mango Street?

The House on Mango Street is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–10, 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 The House on Mango Street?

The House on Mango Street 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 The House on Mango Street?

It takes about 2 hours to read The House on Mango Street (110 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 120 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is The House on Mango Street hard to read for 7th grade?

At 870L, The House on Mango Street reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th 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 The House on Mango Street?

The House on Mango Street appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.