Refugee vs Smile — which is harder to read?

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 (/book/refugee, /book/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 to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.

Comparison

Refugee vs Smile

How Refugee by Alan Gratz and Smile by Raina Telgemeiercompare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.

Refugee

Alan Gratz

Lexile: 800L
Grades: 5–9
Published: 2017
Pages: 352
Genre: Historical Fiction

Smile

Raina Telgemeier

Lexile: 410L
Grades: 4–8
Published: 2010
Pages: 224
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

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

Get these books

Refugee

Alan Gratz

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-click Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

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Smile

Raina Telgemeier

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-click Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included · a free 30-day trial starts listening right away, with no wait for delivery.

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.

Refugee

Smile

At a glance

Reading-level difference

Curriculum overlap

Themes

Only Refugee

Only Smile

Get these books

Where to find this book

Where to find this book

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