Kentucky school reading list

Kentucky K-12 schools commonly assign 1487 books referenced by the Kentucky Academic Standards — organized below by grade, K–12. Source: www.education.ky.gov.

Top Kentucky pick: Wonder by R.J. Palacio — cited for Kentucky and assigned in 32 states

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This page lists books cited in the Kentucky state ELA standards or applicable national curricula. Not a district reading list, school assignment list, or summaries — for those, check your district’s ELA page directly.

1487 books cited for Kentucky

Assignments tied to Kentucky’s Kentucky Academic Standards or to a national curriculum (Common Core, AP, IB) that applies to Kentucky students.

Show all 1487 titles

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Or see what's assigned nationwide: Kindergarten · 1st · 2nd · 3rd · 4th · 5th · 6th · 7th · 8th · 9th · 10th · 11th · 12th

Or browse by genre: Realistic Fiction · Children's · Picture Book · Juvenile Fiction · Science Fiction & Fantasy · Young Adult · Fantasy · Middle Grade Fiction · Humor · Mystery · Historical Fiction · Nonfiction · Young Adult Fiction · Adventure · Middle Grade Fantasy · Graphic Novel · Literary Fiction · Science Fiction · Drama · Middle Grade Graphic Novel · Juvenile Nonfiction · Horror · Picture Book Nonfiction · Poetry · Fairy Tale/Folklore · Early Chapter Book · Middle Grade Mystery · Biography · Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) · Sports Fiction · Fiction · Middle Grade · Verse Novel · Dystopian Fiction · Biography & Autobiography · Caldecott Medal · Children's Literature · Early Reader · Memoir · Middle Grade Nonfiction · Children's Fiction · Young Adult Fantasy · African Americans · Animals · Classic Fiction · Dystopian · Picture Book / Beginner Reader · Young Adult Nonfiction · Young Adult Nonfiction / History

Reading programs in Kentucky

Kentucky runs a statewide children's-choice reading program — students read each year's nominees and vote for their favorite. See the full book list for each:

National curricula that apply in Kentucky

AP, IB and Cambridge courses set the same texts everywhere, and Common Core ELA standards apply where Kentucky has adopted or adapted them. See what each one assigns:

Banned & challenged books in Kentucky schools — 6 titles →

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Frequently asked questions

What books do Kentucky schools assign?

1487 books are referenced by the Kentucky Academic Standards across K-12 grades, including applicable national curricula (Common Core, AP, IB) that overlay the state framework.

What ELA standards does Kentucky use?

Kentucky follows Kentucky Academic Standards. Primary source: the Kentucky Department of Education at www.education.ky.gov/. Cross-referenced with Common Core State Standards exemplars at achievethecore.org.

Are Kentucky reading lists Common Core aligned?

Most Kentucky K-12 reading assignments align with Common Core ELA standards where the state has adopted or adapted them. National AP English / IB English curricula apply uniformly regardless of state. The Course schema above + per-book pages cite the standard origin for each title.

How do I find the reading list for a specific Kentucky grade?

Browse by grade at /state/kentucky/grade/[grade] (e.g. /state/kentucky/grade/5 for 5th grade). Or start at the all-grades /grade page for grade-only filtering across all states. Each book page lists the standard + grade-level assignments.

Reading guides for parents

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State-level reading references are sourced from published state departments of education. National references (Common Core exemplars, AP, IB) apply on top of state standards and appear on each book’s detail page.

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