# Books written in the 1970s, assigned in US schools

Post-Vietnam questioning; YA emerges as a marketed category; The Bluest Eye, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.

**45** books written between 1970 and 1979 that US schools assign across state ELA standards, AP/IB syllabi, and Common Core exemplar lists.

**Decade window:** 1970–1979
**Lexile range:** 330L–920L
**Grade span:** K–12
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/decade/1970s
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## Themes of the 1970s

- friendship (7)
- family (5)
- courage (3)
- everyday life (3)
- growing up (3)
- perseverance (3)
- animals (2)
- humor (2)

## Authors writing in the 1970s

- Judy Blume (3)
- Arnold Lobel (2)
- Betsy Cromer Byars (2)
- Beverly Cleary (2)
- Laurence Yep (2)
- Alfred H. Tamarin
- Alfred Slote
- Bill Brittain

## Genres

- Children's (6)
- Juvenile Fiction (6)
- Realistic Fiction (6)
- Humor (4)
- Middle Grade Fiction (3)
- Early Reader (2)
- Historical Fiction (2)
- Middle Grade Fantasy (2)

## The 1970s canon

- [A Story, a Story](https://readinglist.school/book/a-story-a-story) by Gail E. Haley _(Grades K–3 · pub 1970)_
- [Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret](https://readinglist.school/book/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret) by Judy Blume _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1970)_
- [Frog and Toad Are Friends](https://readinglist.school/book/frog-and-toad-are-friends) by Arnold Lobel _(350L · Grades 1–2 · pub 1970)_
- [Runaway Ralph](https://readinglist.school/book/runaway-ralph) by Beverly Cleary _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1970)_
- [The Bluest Eye](https://readinglist.school/book/the-bluest-eye) by Toni Morrison _(920L · Grades 11–12 · pub 1970)_
- [The Summer of the Swans Novel Units Teacher Guide](https://readinglist.school/book/summer-of-the-swans) by Betsy Cromer Byars _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1970)_
- [The Trumpet of the Swan](https://readinglist.school/book/the-trumpet-of-the-swan) by E.B. White _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1970)_
- [Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH](https://readinglist.school/book/mrs-frisby-and-the-rats-of-nimh) by Robert C. O'Brien _(790L · Grades 4–6 · pub 1971)_
- [One Fine Day](https://readinglist.school/book/one-fine-day) by Nonny Hogrogian _(Grades K–3 · pub 1971)_
- [Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator](https://readinglist.school/book/charlie-and-the-great-glass-elevator) by Roald Dahl _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1972)_
- [Freaky Friday](https://readinglist.school/book/freaky-friday) by Mary Rodgers _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1972)_
- [Frog and Toad Together](https://readinglist.school/book/frog-and-toad-together) by Arnold Lobel _(330L · Grades 1–2 · pub 1972)_
- [Julie of the Wolves](https://readinglist.school/book/julie-of-the-wolves) by Jean Craighead George _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1972)_
- [Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing](https://readinglist.school/book/tales-of-a-fourth-grade-nothing) by Judy Blume _(470L · Grades 2–5 · pub 1972)_
- [Duffy and the Devil](https://readinglist.school/book/duffy-and-the-devil) by Harve Zemach _(Grades K–3 · pub 1973)_
- [How to Eat Fried Worms](https://readinglist.school/book/how-to-eat-fried-worms) by Thomas Rockwell _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1973)_
- [Jonathan Livingston Seagull](https://readinglist.school/book/jonathan-livingston-seagull) by Richard Bach _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1973)_
- [The Slave Dancer](https://readinglist.school/book/the-slave-dancer) by Paula Fox _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1973)_
- [Blubber](https://readinglist.school/book/blubber) by Judy Blume _(Grades 4–7 · pub 1974)_
- [The Cat Ate My Gymsuit](https://readinglist.school/book/the-cat-ate-my-gymsuit) by Paula Danziger _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1974)_
- [The Ghost on Saturday Night](https://readinglist.school/book/the-ghost-on-saturday-night) by Sid Fleischman _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1974)_
- [The Girl who Cried Flowers, and Other Tales](https://readinglist.school/book/the-girl-who-cried-flowers) by Jane Yolen _(Grades 4–9 · pub 1974)_
- [A Wizard of Earthsea](https://readinglist.school/book/a-wizard-of-earthsea) by Ursula K. Le Guin _(Grades 4–9 · pub 1975)_
- [Dragonwings](https://readinglist.school/book/dragonwings) by Laurence Yep _(870L · Grades 6–8 · pub 1975)_
- [My Robot Buddy](https://readinglist.school/book/my-robot-buddy) by Alfred Slote _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1975)_
- [The Grey King](https://readinglist.school/book/the-grey-king) by Susan Cooper _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1975)_
- [Tuck Everlasting](https://readinglist.school/book/tuck-everlasting) by Natalie Babbitt _(770L · Grades 4–7 · pub 1975)_
- [Alvin's Swap Shop](https://readinglist.school/book/alvins-swap-shop) by Clifford B. Hicks _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1976)_
- [Ashanti to Zulu](https://readinglist.school/book/ashanti-to-zulu) by Margaret Musgrove _(Grades K–3 · pub 1976)_
- [Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry](https://readinglist.school/book/roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry) by Mildred D. Taylor _(920L · Grades 6–8 · pub 1976)_
- [Summer of the Monkeys](https://readinglist.school/book/summer-of-the-monkeys) by Wilson Rawls _(Grades 4–7 · pub 1976)_
- [Voyaging to Cathay](https://readinglist.school/book/voyaging-to-cathay) by Alfred H. Tamarin _(Grades 4–10 · pub 1976)_
- [Anno's Counting Book](https://readinglist.school/book/annos-alphabet) by Mitsumasa Anno _(Grades K–5 · pub 1977)_
- [Bridge to Terabithia](https://readinglist.school/book/bridge-to-terabithia) by Katherine Paterson _(810L · Grades 4–6 · pub 1977)_
- [Child of the Owl](https://readinglist.school/book/child-of-the-owl) by Laurence Yep _(Grades 4–9 · pub 1977)_
- [Noah's Ark](https://readinglist.school/book/noahs-ark) by Peter Spier _(Grades K–3 · pub 1977)_
- [Ramona and Her Father](https://readinglist.school/book/ramona-and-her-father) by Beverly Cleary _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1977)_
- [The Pinballs](https://readinglist.school/book/the-pinballs) by Betsy Cromer Byars _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1977)_
- [Banana Twist](https://readinglist.school/book/banana-twist) by Florence Parry Heide _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1978)_
- [The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses](https://readinglist.school/book/the-girl-who-loved-wild-horses) by Paul Goble _(Grades K–3 · pub 1978)_
- [The Westing Game](https://readinglist.school/book/the-westing-game) by Ellen Raskin _(750L · Grades 5–7 · pub 1978)_
- [A Gathering of Days](https://readinglist.school/book/a-gathering-of-days) by Joan W. Blos _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1979)_
- [All the Money in the World](https://readinglist.school/book/all-the-money-in-the-world) by Bill Brittain _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1979)_
- [Ox-cart Man](https://readinglist.school/book/ox-cart-man) by Donald Hall _(Grades K–3 · pub 1979)_
- [The Road from Home](https://readinglist.school/book/the-road-from-home) by David Kherdian _(Grades 4–10 · pub 1979)_

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. JSON API: https://readinglist.school/api/decade/1970s · HTML view: https://readinglist.school/decade/1970s._