To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
- Lexile
- 870L
- Grade range
- Grades 7–10
- Age range
- Ages 12–17
- Pages
- 281
- First published
- 1960
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780060935467
About this book
Set in the Depression-era South, the novel follows Scout Finch, a young girl whose father Atticus, a lawyer, defends a Black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Through Scout's narration, the book examines racism, moral conscience, and childhood perception. It remains one of the most widely assigned novels in US high schools and a frequent subject of curriculum debate.
Themes
- racial injustice
- moral courage
- childhood innocence
- justice
- coming of age
- small-town South
Content notes
- racial slurs (historical context)
- sexual assault (discussed, not depicted)
- violence
Common Sense Media recommends age 12+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- recommended· 11th gradesource: AP Lit Course and Exam Description — representative text list
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 9th gradesource: Common Core aligned summer-reading list — rising 9th grade
- recommended· 9th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 9-10 exemplar
- recommended· 9th grade · Californiasource: CA CCSS ELA aligned reading
- recommended· 9th grade · Floridasource: B.E.S.T. Standards aligned reading
- recommended· 9th grade · Texassource: TEKS English II frequently taught text
- recommended· 9th grade · Texassource: HISD English I core text
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is To Kill a Mockingbird?
- To Kill a Mockingbird 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 To Kill a Mockingbird?
- To Kill a Mockingbird 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.
- What curricula assign To Kill a Mockingbird?
- To Kill a Mockingbird appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is To Kill a Mockingbird banned in schools?
- To Kill a Mockingbird has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 5 states (TX, MO, FL, PA, VA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does To Kill a Mockingbird explore?
- Central themes in To Kill a Mockingbird include racial injustice, moral courage, childhood innocence, justice, coming of age. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.