Smile vs The Crossover — which is harder to read?

The Crossover (Lexile 750) is the harder read — 340L 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 Smile vs The Crossover?

Smile: 4-8 grade range. The Crossover: 5-8 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, Smile or The Crossover?

Both Smile and The Crossover are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (/book/smile, /book/the-crossover) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.

Should I read Smile or The Crossover 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

Smile vs The Crossover

How Smile by Raina Telgemeier and The Crossover by Kwame Alexandercompare 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

The Crossover

Kwame Alexander

Lexile: 750L
Grades: 5–8
Published: 2014
Pages: 240
Genre: Verse Novel

At a glance

Lexile differential: 340L (Smile: 410L · The Crossover: 750L)
Grade-range overlap: Grades 5–8
Year-of-publication gap: 4 years (2010 vs 2014)
Page-count gap: 16 pages (224 vs 240)
Shared curricula: 24 of 79
Shared themes: 0 of 9

Reading-level difference

The 340-point Lexile gap puts The Crossover 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 24 shared curriculum frameworks:

Themes

Only Smile

growing up · friendship · self-acceptance · humor

Only The Crossover

family · brotherhood · basketball · grief · identity

Get these books

Smile

Raina Telgemeier

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-click Listen free on Audible30-day trial

Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership.

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.

The Crossover

Kwame Alexander

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-click Listen free on Audible30-day trial

Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership.

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

The Crossover

At a glance

Reading-level difference

Curriculum overlap

Themes

Only Smile

Only The Crossover

Get these books

Where to find this book

Where to find this book

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