California Reading List (CRL)

Based on your child's score on the California English-Language Arts Standards Test, a specific list has been designated as appropriate for him or her in terms of reading difficulty and interest level.

Please read the following information. When you are ready to find your child's reading list, click on "Search for a reading list" You will need to enter both your child's grade and reading list number.

Reading is important, both in and out of school...

Reading and literacy skills provide students with the keys to lifelong learning. The more students read, the better readers they will become. Every effort should be made both at school and at home to get students to do as much reading as possible.

Why this list?

This site has been developed to assist parents and students in selecting books written at a level of difficulty that corresponds with a child's ability to read based on a single test score. Drawn from California's recommended literature lists for students in kindergarten through grade twelve, the reading lists on this site have been specifically tailored to match the achievement level of each student who participated in the statewide assessment program during the previous spring. 

This site will be updated and refreshed periodically to include new titles written for children and young adults or to delete other titles that may no longer be available or appropriate.

Which list is most relevant for my child?

There are 13 different lists of reading material on this site (numbered from 01 to 13+). These lists are progressive in terms of difficulty; each list is made up of a collection of titles that are slightly more difficult to read than the titles on the list before it. List #01 contains the most easy-to-read titles, while List #13+ is made up of the most difficult or sophisticated titles. The list numbers do NOT correspond to grade levels. Multiple lists are available at each grade level. For example, lists 01 though 09 are available for grade 2 with a few books identified on lists 10 and 11. On each list you will find books designated as "NP." The "NP" (non-prose) designation is printed rather than a number if the book includes nonstandard prose. These are books of poems, plays, and songs, or books with incorrect or no punctuation. 

Based on your child's score on the California English-Language Arts Standards Test, a specific list has been designated as appropriate for him or her in terms of reading difficulty and interest level. The titles from your child's list represent books covering a range of difficulty, subjects, and interests.

When you select a title to review from your child's grade and designated list, you will be able to view information about that book. Click on the book title to get information about the nature of the book and a summary of it. This information may help you determine the suitability of the book for your child.

Important Consideration

You know your child best. Ultimately, only you and your child can determine which books are appropriate to read, taking a variety of important factors into consideration. These factors include your child's:

  • Particular interests

  • Independent reading ability

  • Motivation

  • Level of maturity

Please consider each of these factors as you attempt to match an individual child with a specific book. The reading lists provide information only on the books. You then must take that information into account with what you know about your own child in order to make the most appropriate reading selections. Also, you should not limit a student's reading selections to the titles from his/her designated list. The California Reading List provides only one source of potential titles. Many other lists, including collections of award-winning titles (Newbery, Caldecott, California Young Reader Medal, Coretta Scott King, etc.), can be found through school and local libraries, the Internet, and other helpful sources. The bottom line is: ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO READ.