1980s books assigned in 5th grade

US schools assign 74 books written in the 1980s to 5th grade students, across 35 states, spanning 550L–1020L. Every title below is cited from a state ELA standard, district reading list, or AP/IB syllabus.

Titles
74
Written
1980–1989
Lexile range
550L–1020L
States assigning
35

The list — 1980s, 5th grade

Reading the whole 1980s 5th grade reading list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Show all 74 titles

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Most-assigned 1980s authors in 5th grade

Pat McKissack (2) · Lois Lowry (2) · Virginia Hamilton (2) · Beverly Cleary (2) · Jamie Gilson (2) · Walter Dean Myers (2)

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Common questions

How many 1980s books are assigned in 5th grade?
74 books written between 1980 and 1989 appear on 5th grade reading lists tracked by ReadingList. Each one is cited from a state department of education, district list, or AP/IB syllabus.
What Lexile range do these 1980s books cover?
Lexile measures for the 1980s titles assigned in 5th grade run from 550L to 1020L. Poetry, drama, and graphic novels without a published Lexile measure are not counted in that range.
Are these assigned nationally or in a few states?
35 states assign at least one 1980s title at 5th grade in the lists tracked here, so this is a broad pattern rather than a single state's canon. Per-state lists are on each state page.

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