The Pearl
The Pearl by John Steinbeck is assigned in US schools at grades 6–9, with a Lexile measure of 1010L. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Pearl is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 1010L
- Grade range
- Grades 6–9
- Difficulty for grade
- Within the grade 6–8 band (925–1185L)
- Age range
- Ages 11–15
- Pages
- 96
- Reading time
- about 1h 45m (est.)
- First published
- 1947
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780140177374
Reading difficulty: At 1010L, The Pearl falls within the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 6th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
A Mexican pearl diver, Kino, finds a pearl that promises a better life for his family but whose discovery invites theft and violence. Steinbeck's novella is a common 7th- or 8th-grade introduction to literary symbolism and a Common Core grade 6-8 exemplar.
Why widely assigned
This Literary Fiction title, reads at young-adult to upper-middle-grade complexity, typically at grades 6–9. Written in the 1940s; pairs with curriculum units on greed and colonial exploitation; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Content notes
death of a child · violence · theft
Common Sense Media recommends age 11+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury · 890L
See all books like The Pearl→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Pearl?
- The Pearl is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9, with a Lexile measure of 1010L. 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 Pearl?
- The Pearl has a Lexile measure of 1010L 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 Pearl?
- It takes about 1h 45m to read The Pearl (96 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 105 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is The Pearl hard to read for 6th grade?
- At 1010L, The Pearl falls within the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 6th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- What curricula assign The Pearl?
- The Pearl appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 1010L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 6–9 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.