1980s books assigned in 12th grade
US schools assign 21 books written in the 1980s to 12th grade students, across 4 states, spanning 670L–930L. Every title below is cited from a state ELA standard, district reading list, or AP/IB syllabus.
Most widely assigned from the 1980s
Beloved
Toni Morrison · on 3 reading lists
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- Titles
- 21
- Written
- 1980–1989
- Lexile range
- 670L–930L
- States assigning
- 4
The list — 1980s, 12th grade
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A Sudden SilenceEve Bunting
BelovedToni Morrison · 870L
Don't Look Behind YouLois Duncan
EvaPeter Dickinson
FencesAugust Wilson
Interstellar PigWilliam Sleator
Izzy, Willy-NillyCynthia Voigt
Night KitesM. E. Kerr
Our Country's GoodTimberlake Wertenbaker
PoemsElizabeth Bishop
PursuitMichael French
Say Goodnight, GracieJulie Reece Deaver
Stranger with My FaceLois Duncan
The Color PurpleAlice Walker · 670L
The DarkangelMeredith Ann Pierce
The Face at the Edge of the WorldEve Bunting
The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood · 750L
The Joy Luck ClubAmy Tan · 930L
The Man in the WoodsRosemary Wells
The Truth TrapFrances A. Miller
Waiting for the BarbariansJ. M. Coetzee
Most-assigned 1980s authors in 12th grade
Eve Bunting (2) · Lois Duncan (2) · Toni Morrison · William Sleator · Cynthia Voigt · M. E. Kerr
Common questions
- How many 1980s books are assigned in 12th grade?
- 21 books written between 1980 and 1989 appear on 12th grade reading lists tracked by ReadingList. Each one is cited from a state department of education, district list, or AP/IB syllabus.
- What Lexile range do these 1980s books cover?
- Lexile measures for the 1980s titles assigned in 12th grade run from 670L to 930L. Poetry, drama, and graphic novels without a published Lexile measure are not counted in that range.
- Are these assigned nationally or in a few states?
- 4 states assign at least one 1980s title at 12th grade in the lists tracked here, so this is a broad pattern rather than a single state's canon. Per-state lists are on each state page.