Cover of The Giver

The Giver

by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8, with a Lexile measure of 760L. It appears across 11 curriculum references and 13 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Giver is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile
760L
Grade range
Grades 6–8
Difficulty for grade
Below the grade 6–8 band (925–1185L)
Age range
Ages 11–14
Pages
179
Reading time
about 3h 15m (est.)
First published
1993
Genre
Dystopian Fiction
ISBN-13
9780544336261

Reading difficulty: At 760L, The Giver reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 6th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.

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About this book

Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a community that has eliminated pain, conflict, and choice. When he is selected to receive the memories of the world as it used to be, he begins to understand what his society has given up. The Newbery Medal winner is a standard middle-school introduction to dystopian fiction and a frequent Common Core grade 6–7 text.

Why widely assigned

This Dystopian Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 6–8. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on conformity vs individuality and memory; cited across 11 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

conformity vs individuality · memory · utopia and dystopia · coming of age · freedom of choice

Content notes

euthanasia (implied and described) · infanticide (implied)

Common Sense Media recommends age 12+.

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Giver→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is The Giver?
The Giver is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8, with a Lexile measure of 760L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of The Giver?
The Giver has a Lexile measure of 760L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read The Giver?
It takes about 3h 15m to read The Giver (179 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 195 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is The Giver hard to read for 6th grade?
At 760L, The Giver reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 6th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign The Giver?
The Giver appears on reading lists for Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award, Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Common Core State Standards (ELA), and 8 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
760L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 6–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 11 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 13 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 4 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club, summer.