Books written in the 1990s, assigned in US schools
Multicultural representation expands; Holes, The Giver, Speak — increasingly mainstream YA crossing into core syllabi.
- Books on file
- 10
- Lexile range
- 660L–1000L
- Grade span
- 3–11
- Decade window
- 1990–1999
The 1990s canon
Maniac MageeJerry Spinelli · 820L
ShilohPhyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
Walk Two MoonsSharon Creech · 770L
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963Christopher Paul Curtis · 1000L
Out of the DustKaren Hesse · 740L
HolesLouis Sachar · 660L
Bud, Not BuddyChristopher Paul Curtis · 950L
MonsterWalter Dean Myers · 670L
SpeakLaurie Halse Anderson · 690L
Common questions
- How many 1990s books does the canon include here?
- 10 books written in the 1990s 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 1990s books?
- Lexile measures for 1990s assigned-reading titles range from 660L to 1000L. Books without a published Lexile measure (poetry, drama, graphic novels) are not included in this range.
- What grades assign 1990s books?
- Books written in the 1990s are assigned across grades 3 through 11 in US schools tracked by ReadingList. Specific grade-level assignments are listed on each book page.