Books written in the 1980s, assigned in US schools
Magic realism and historical fiction broaden the canon; The Joy Luck Club, Number the Stars, Hatchet.
- Books on file
- 9
- Lexile range
- 550L–1020L
- Grade span
- 3–12
- Decade window
- 1980–1989
The 1980s canon
Stone FoxJohn Reynolds Gardiner · 550L
The BFGRoald Dahl · 720L
The House on Mango StreetSandra Cisneros · 870L
Sarah, Plain and TallPatricia MacLachlan · 660L
Maus: A Survivor's TaleArt Spiegelman
BelovedToni Morrison · 870L
HatchetGary Paulsen · 1020L
MatildaRoald Dahl · 840L
Number the StarsLois Lowry · 670L
Common questions
- How many 1980s books does the canon include here?
- 9 books written in the 1980s appear across the curricula and state ELA standards tracked by ReadingList. Each one is cited from a state department of education, AP/IB syllabus, or peer-reviewed source.
- What's the Lexile range for 1980s books?
- Lexile measures for 1980s assigned-reading titles range from 550L to 1020L. Books without a published Lexile measure (poetry, drama, graphic novels) are not included in this range.
- What grades assign 1980s books?
- Books written in the 1980s are assigned across grades 3 through 12 in US schools tracked by ReadingList. Specific grade-level assignments are listed on each book page.