Comparison
Refugee vs Smile
How Refugee by Alan Gratz and Smile by Raina Telgemeier compare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.
Smile
Raina Telgemeier
- Lexile
- 410L
- Grades
- 4–8
- Published
- 2010
- Pages
- 224
- Genre
- Middle Grade Graphic Novel
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases.
At a glance
- Lexile differential
- 390L (Refugee: 800L · Smile: 410L)
- Grade-range overlap
- Grades 5–8
- Year-of-publication gap
- 7 years (2017 vs 2010)
- Page-count gap
- 128 pages (352 vs 224)
- Shared curricula
- 35 of 124
- Shared themes
- 0 of 9
Reading-level difference
The 390-point Lexile gap puts Refugee roughly substantially more demanding than Smile. Lexile differences below 50L typically reflect equivalent decoding load (sentence length + word frequency); differences above 200L cross developmental reading-band boundaries. More on how Lexile measures work →
Curriculum overlap
Both books appear in 35 shared curriculum frameworks:
Themes
Only Refugee
refugees · survival · family · displacement · empathy
Only Smile
growing up · friendship · self-acceptance · humor
Common questions
- Which is harder to read, Refugee or Smile?
- Refugee (Lexile 800) is the harder read — 390L higher than Smile (Lexile 410). Lexile differential ≥150L typically means a 1-2 grade-level difference. Both are in the 3-5 grade band, though.
- What grade level is Refugee vs Smile?
- Refugee: 5-9 grade range. Smile: 4-8 grade range. Both assigned within the 3-5 band. Specific district and curriculum vary; see each book's page for the full assignment history.
- Which is more commonly taught, Refugee or Smile?
- Both Refugee and Smile are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (Refugee, Smile) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.
- Should I read Refugee or Smile first?
- If they're in the same school year, follow the syllabus order (usually chronological by publication or grouped by theme). If reading independently: start with the shorter or lower-Lexile title (Smile) to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.
Get these books
Refugee
Alan Gratz
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
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.
Smile
Raina Telgemeier
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
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.