1-Yellow (Y)
Grade Level Equivalency: Mid-Kindergarten
Yellow-level books are one-word labeling books. Readers use the simple pictures of familiar objects to “read” one-word labels on each page. Labeling books have limited usefulness for young readers, but can be helpful in teaching children that letters represent speech sounds. Representative title: Maisy’s Favorite Animals. Children reading independently can handle these books independently by the middle of kindergarten. Readiness level.

2-Yellow (YY)
Grade Level Equivalency: Mid-Kindergarten
Double-Yellow books are written with just one sentence pattern throughout the book. Readers use the simple pictures and repeated sentence pattern to “read” the one sentence on each page. Representative title: Good Night Gorilla. Children reading on grade level can handle these books independently by the middle of kindergarten. Readiness level.

1-Green (G)
Grade Level Equivalency: End of Kindergarten
Green books contain the 50 sight words that are most commonly used in books for children. Repeated exposure to this group of 50 words helps emergent readers acquire an initial sight-word vocabulary. The rest of the words can be figured out using initial consonant sounds, syntax, and picture clues. Representative title: I Love You Sun, I Love You Moon. Children reading on grade level can handle these books independently by the end of kindergarten.

2-Green (GG)
Grade Level Equivalency: Start of 1st Grade
Double-Green books contain the 100 sight words most commonly used in books for children. Repeated exposure to this group of 100 words helps emergent readers build their sightword vocabulary. The rest of the words can be figured out using the initial two letters of each word, syntax, and picture clues. Representative title: Where’s Spot? Children reading on grade level can handle these books independently early in first grade.

1-Blue (B)
Grade Level Equivalency: Mid-1st Grade
Blue books contain the 200 sight words most commonly used in books for children. Repeated exposure to this group of 200 words helps emergent readers build their sight-word vocabulary. The rest of the one-syllable words can be figured out using rhyming, initial sounds, blends and digraphs, word families, and regular long and short vowel patterns. Representative title: Mine’s the Best. Children reading on grade level can handle these books independently by the middle of first grade.

2-Blue (BB)
Grade Level Equivalency: End of 1st Grade
Double-Blue books contain the 400 sight words most commonly used in books for children. One- and two-syllable words can be figured out using rhyming, initial and final sounds, blends and digraphs, word families, and long and short vowel patterns. Stories begin to have simple plots and characterization. Representative title: Clifford the Big Red Dog. Children reading on grade level can handle these books independently by the end of first grade.

1-Red (R)
Grade Level Equivalency: Mid-2nd Grade
Red books are picture books that contain regular three-syllable words familiar to students from their everyday speech. Words can be figure out using basic vowel patterns, syllable chunking, and three-letter blends. Stories may involve plots, characterization, setting, and themes. Representative title: Amelia Bedelia. Students reading on grade level can handle these books independently during the first half of second grade.

2-Red (RR)
Grade Level Equivalency: End of 2nd Grade
Double-Red books are picture books and first chapter books that contain regular and irregular three- and four-syllable words that are familiar to the students from their everyday speech. Representative title: Junie B. Jones. Students reading on grade level can handle these books independently during the second half of second grade.

White (Wt)
Grade Level Equivalency: 3rd Grade
White books are picture books and easy chapter books where “literary” vocabulary is introduced. Approximately 1-3 out of 100 words will not be familiar to young readers from their speech. Background knowledge common to third graders is assumed (e.g. basic geographical features, familiarity with traditional tale frameworks, fiction and nonfiction structures). Representative title: Bailey School Kids. Students reading on grade level can handle these books independently throughout third grade.

Black (Bk)
Grade Level Equivalency: 4th Grade
Black books are picture books and chapter books where it is assumed students have acquired a literary vocabulary of approximately 1,500 words not contained in their normal speech. Background knowledge common to fourth graders is assumed (e.g. states, regions of the US, familiarity with biography as a genre). Representative title: Shiloh. Students reading on grade level can handle these books independently throughout fourth grade.

Orange (Or)
Grade Level Equivalency: 5th Grade
Orange books are picture books and chapter books where it is assumed students have acquired a literary vocabulary of approximately 3,000 words not contained in their normal speech. Background knowledge common to fifth graders is assumed (e.g. historical past, regions of the world, familiarity with historical fiction as a genre.) Representative title: Animorphs. Students reading on grade level can handle these books independently throughout fifth grade.

Purple (Pu)
Grade Level Equivalency: 6th Grade
Purple books are picture books and chapter books where it is assumed students have acquired a literary vocabulary of approximately 4,500 words not contained in their normal speech. Background knowledge common to sixth graders is assumed, (e.g. American government, basic knowledge of most familiar countries of the world, familiarity with science fiction as a genre.) Representative title: Harry Potter. Books are selected to be appropriate for the elementary reader able to handle material at the sixth-grade reading level.

Bronze (Br)
Grade Level Equivalency: 7th-8th Grades
Bronze books assume students have acquired a literary vocabulary of approximately 6,000 words not used in their everyday speech. Background knowledge common to seventh and eighth graders is assumed, (e.g. knowledge of ancient worlds, myths, legends, different forms of governments). Representative title: To Kill a Mockingbird. Books are selected to be appropriate for the elementary reader able to handle material at the seventh and eighth grade level.

Silver (Si)
Grade Level Equivalency: 9th-10th Grades
Silver books assume students have acquired a literary vocabulary of approximately 7,500 words not used in their everyday speech. Background knowledge common to ninth and tenth graders is assumed, (e.g. political and social issues, government paradigms). Representative title: White Fang. Books are selected to be appropriate for the elementary reader able to handle material at the ninth and tenth grade level. (This basket level contains 25 books.)

Gold (Gl)
Grade Level Equivalency: 11th-12th Grades
Gold books assume students have acquired a literary vocabulary of approximately 9,000 words not used in their everyday speech. Background knowledge common to eleventh and twelfth graders is assumed, (e.g. philosophical constructs, social and political analysis, use of symbolism). Representative title: Apollo 13. Books are selected to be appropriate for the elementary reader able to handle material at the eleventh and twelfth grade level. (This basket level contains 25 books.)