The Missouri Reader Vol. 37, Issue 1 | Page 17

Students develop at different rates in their cognitive
abilities, their social skills, and their maturity. There
is no mold that all students come out of, so there
should not be a mold that the education system tries
to put them back in to.
The range of texts that a student can read,
interpret, and appreciate will vary greatly depending
on the student. The quality of the text is dependent
not only on how well the piece is written, or what it
offers to society, but it is also dependent on how the
student will react to the piece. Although eighth-grade
students with a post-high school reading level can
undoubtedly decode and have a surface level
understanding of Thomas Paine‘s Common Sense,
would they be able to fully appreciate it? Would the
words have any meaning past their dictionary
definitions, or would the value of the text be lost on
readers unable to fully understand its importance and
social significance? Just because a piece of writing is
on students‘ designated reading level does not
necessarily mean that it is the best reading material for
them.
Cris Tovani mentioned at the 2013 Write to
Learn Conference that there are many things that
make a text complex. The complexity of a text
cannot be based solely on the word usage or length or
any one specific factor. Complex texts are rigorous,
but there is a definite distinction between rigorous
and hard. Just because a text is harder to understand
does not necessarily make it a qualifier for being
better for a higher level reader. A gifted middle
school student may be able to read it, and possibly
even understand it, but that does not mean that he or
she will enjoy it and want to pursue knowledge in that
subject matter any further. That same gifted middle
school student who is continually forced to read texts
that he or she does not find enjoyable simply because
it is a higher level can easily lose the joy of reading all
together.
There are likely many teachers who, like me,
struggle with how to challenge readers, but also foster
the readers‘ interests. Many of us grew up with our
lexiles and reading levels being the most important
thing on the planet, and other factors were never
taken into consideration. Now, we as teachers realize
the importance of the other factors, such as interest
levels and relevance to students‘ lives. What is in the
text is not necessarily as important as what a student
can get out of the text.

Teachers are the ones who know their students
best and are able to suggest books they know their
students will find engaging. By knowing that a
student is interested in sports, a teacher may
recommend various books by Dan Gutman. A
teacher who knows his or her student is interested in
dragons may steer the student toward the Inheritance
Cycle. This knowledge comes from the teacher‘s own
experiences as a reader and student, which is why it is
vital for educators to keep up-to-date on reading
materials they may find beneficial. Below is a list of
six books from the NPR list of voter chosen top teen
novels that I have recommended to my students.
Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a
Part-Time Indian. This is the coming of age story of
a Native American boy trying to fit in with his
traditional family and cope with his desire to be a
normal kid. Readers open their hearts to Arnold, the
protagonist, as they enjoy his humor and ingenious
cartoons, as well as feel his pain as he learns the
consequences of bad decisions and the meaning of true
friendship. This is a great story to show cultural
diversity, as well as deal with issues like alcohol and
its dangers. It is written with a 600L Lexile, a 3.4
Grade Level Equivalent, but the interest level is
grades 9-12. This book works great for readers of all
levels as it is easy to read, so struggling readers will
not be discouraged. It also discusses many issues that
teens struggle with, so even though the reading level
is lower, it still is relevant to higher level readers.
Hinton, S.E. (1967). The Outsiders. This became
the overwhelming favorite of my eighth-grade
students. The story follows a group of teenagers in
1960s Oklahoma. These kids come from the wrong
side of the track and wind up fighting with a rival
group of rich kids, sometimes to the death. The story
is easy for students to relate to, as it talks about
rivalries, friendship, love, social ostracism, and many
other problems that teenagers face today. This novel
has a lower reading level. It has a 750L Lexile, which
is a 5.1 Grade Level Equivalent, but the interest level
is Grades 6-8. This allows it to be an easy read that
interests the students, and depending on their
individual levels, the teacher can include various
activities. Higher level readers would be able to delve
deeper into the symbolism of Johnny Cade as a Christ
figure, while lower readers could analyze the
relationships of the characters in relation to their own
©The Missouri Reader, 37 (1) p.17