Books US schools assign, by theme
A different angle on the canon: what the books are about. Themes like friendship, coming-of-age, racism, and the Holocaust appear across grades and curricula — these pages collect them. Each theme page lists the books that explore it, with grade levels, Lexile ranges, and primary-source citations.
Or start with the top 100 books most clicked by readers →
Relationships
Friends, families, siblings and the people who raise us.
friendship183 books · Grades K–12
family172 books · Grades K–12
family life24 books · Grades K–12
brothers17 books · Grades K–12
brothers and sisters17 books · Grades K–12
love16 books · Grades K–12
kindness14 books · Grades K–8
loyalty14 books · Grades K–12
families12 books · Grades K–12
interpersonal relations12 books · Grades 1–12- friendship, fiction10 books · Grades K–12
orphans9 books · Grades 4–12- fathers and sons7 books · Grades K–12
best friends6 books · Grades K–12
empathy6 books · Grades 3–9
family life, fiction6 books · Grades 3–12
mothers and daughters6 books · Grades 3–12
fathers and daughters5 books · Grades 3–9
neighbors5 books · Grades 3–8- family problems4 books · Grades 4–12
- family, fiction4 books · Grades 3–12
forgiveness4 books · Grades 3–12- grandfathers4 books · Grades 3–12
- grandmothers4 books · Grades K–10
mother-daughter relationship4 books · Grades 3–12
parent and child, fiction4 books · Grades 2–12- romance4 books · Grades 9–12
siblings4 books · Grades 2–7
babysitters3 books · Grades 2–8
betrayal3 books · Grades 9–12
compassion3 books · Grades 3–10- dating (social customs)3 books · Grades 9–12
father-son relationships3 books · Grades 9–12
fatherhood3 books · Grades 7–12
generosity3 books · Grades K–8
grandparent and child3 books · Grades 3–8
gratitude3 books · Grades K–7- married people3 books · Grades 11–12
- parent and child3 books · Grades K–8
single-parent families3 books · Grades 3–12
sisters3 books · Grades 3–9
twins3 books · Grades 3–8
Identity & growing up
Coming of age, belonging, courage and finding your own voice.
identity101 books · Grades K–12- courage82 books · Grades K–12
perseverance35 books · Grades K–12
imagination33 books · Grades K–8
growing up26 books · Grades K–12
coming of age22 books · Grades 2–12
resilience20 books · Grades 3–12
conduct of life13 books · Grades K–12
belonging12 books · Grades K–8
disability12 books · Grades K–12
individuality11 books · Grades K–12
behavior10 books · Grades K–9
boys, fiction8 books · Grades K–8
ambition7 books · Grades 3–12
hope7 books · Grades 4–12
intelligence7 books · Grades 3–11- responsibility7 books · Grades K–10
sacrifice7 books · Grades 3–12
secrets7 books · Grades 3–12
destiny5 books · Grades 3–9
good vs evil5 books · Grades 2–7
independence5 books · Grades 2–12
people with disabilities5 books · Grades 2–12
aging4 books · Grades 4–12- blind4 books · Grades K–12
childhood4 books · Grades 5–10
determination4 books · Grades 3–8
greed4 books · Grades K–9
illusion and reality4 books · Grades 8–12
revenge4 books · Grades 7–12- teenage girls4 books · Grades 9–12
- teenagers4 books · Grades 6–12
voice and silence4 books · Grades 8–12
adolescence, fiction3 books · Grades 3–12- behavior, fiction3 books · Grades K–6
- boys3 books · Grades K–8
change3 books · Grades 3–6
choice3 books · Grades 4–12
conformity3 books · Grades 5–12
creativity3 books · Grades 1–7
deception3 books · Grades 5–12
disillusionment3 books · Grades 9–12
fate3 books · Grades 8–12- girls, fiction3 books · Grades 2–8
heroism3 books · Grades 5–12- human behavior3 books · Grades K–8
identity and reputation3 books · Grades 8–12
journey3 books · Grades 3–8
morality3 books · Grades 3–12
neurodiversity3 books · Grades 3–9
old age3 books · Grades K–8
popularity3 books · Grades 2–12
reputation3 books · Grades 10–12- self-perception3 books · Grades 3–12
History & society
War, race, justice, immigration and the American story.
history45 books · Grades K–12
justice19 books · Grades 3–12
biography16 books · Grades 1–8- race16 books · Grades 3–12
immigration15 books · Grades K–12- war15 books · Grades 3–12
power14 books · Grades 5–12
freedom11 books · Grades 3–12
Holocaust8 books · Grades 2–12
poverty8 books · Grades 3–12
racism8 books · Grades 3–12- social life and customs8 books · Grades K–12
world war, 1939-19458 books · Grades 3–8
class7 books · Grades 4–12
slavery7 books · Grades 3–12- african americans6 books · Grades 2–12
jews6 books · Grades 3–10
marriage and class6 books · Grades 8–12
American Dream5 books · Grades 8–12- frontier and pioneer life5 books · Grades 1–8
- gender5 books · Grades 7–12
- historical fiction5 books · Grades 3–12
prejudice5 books · Grades 3–10
religion5 books · Grades 7–12
social class5 books · Grades 4–12
colonialism4 books · Grades 9–12
prejudices4 books · Grades 3–12
refugees4 books · Grades 4–12
united states4 books · Grades 3–12
Chinese-American experience3 books · Grades 6–12
Great Depression3 books · Grades 4–11
activism3 books · Grades 4–12- african americans, fiction3 books · Grades K–12
censorship3 books · Grades 3–12
civil rights3 books · Grades 5–8
code-switching3 books · Grades 4–12- gangs3 books · Grades 3–12
indians of north america3 books · Grades 2–8- interracial dating3 books · Grades 9–12
racial injustice3 books · Grades 6–12- resistance3 books · Grades 4–12
revolution3 books · Grades 5–12- sex role3 books · Grades 4–12
Hard topics
Grief, loss, mental health and bullying, as schools teach them.
grief28 books · Grades K–12
death17 books · Grades 3–12
bullying14 books · Grades K–12
fear9 books · Grades K–9
murder9 books · Grades 2–12
bullies8 books · Grades K–8
kidnapping8 books · Grades 3–12- loss8 books · Grades 3–12
mental health8 books · Grades 4–12- divorce7 books · Grades 3–12
mortality7 books · Grades 3–12- child abuse6 books · Grades 3–12
- suicide5 books · Grades 3–12
anxiety4 books · Grades 4–8
healing4 books · Grades 4–12- murder, fiction4 books · Grades 6–12
- alcoholism3 books · Grades 9–12
- dysfunctional families3 books · Grades 3–12
- elective mutism3 books · Grades 3–12
- madness3 books · Grades 11–12
missing persons3 books · Grades 2–8
violence3 books · Grades 7–12
Adventure & genre
Mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, humor and graphic novels.
humor54 books · Grades K–12
humorous stories48 books · Grades K–12- survival40 books · Grades 2–12
- adventure37 books · Grades 1–9
mystery and detective stories37 books · Grades K–12
mystery36 books · Grades K–12
ghosts18 books · Grades 3–9
magic18 books · Grades 1–8
science fiction17 books · Grades K–12
folklore16 books · Grades K–8
detective and mystery stories14 books · Grades 2–12
adventure and adventurers13 books · Grades 2–12
fantasy13 books · Grades 2–12
fairy tales12 books · Grades K–8
science12 books · Grades 2–9
dragons10 books · Grades K–9
graphic novels9 books · Grades 2–12
monsters8 books · Grades K–8
adventure and adventurers, fiction7 books · Grades 3–8- extraterrestrial beings7 books · Grades K–12
fantasy fiction7 books · Grades K–12
ghost stories7 books · Grades 3–8
mythology6 books · Grades 3–9
witches6 books · Grades K–8- comic books, strips5 books · Grades 3–8
- horror stories5 books · Grades K–8
magic, fiction5 books · Grades 3–8
haunted houses4 books · Grades 3–9
spies4 books · Grades 2–8
time travel4 books · Grades 4–9- cartoons and comics3 books · Grades K–8
comic books, strips, etc.3 books · Grades 3–6- computers3 books · Grades 3–8
- extrasensory perception3 books · Grades 6–12
- legends3 books · Grades 1–8
- life on other planets3 books · Grades 3–8
puzzles3 books · Grades 3–8- robbers and outlaws3 books · Grades 3–8
science and ethics3 books · Grades 4–12- supernatural3 books · Grades 6–12
tall tales3 books · Grades K–6- vampires3 books · Grades 3–12
Nature & animals
Dogs, cats, wild animals, farms and the natural world.
nature37 books · Grades K–12
dogs32 books · Grades K–8
animals31 books · Grades K–8
cats19 books · Grades K–8
dogs, fiction12 books · Grades K–6
pets10 books · Grades K–8- cats, fiction7 books · Grades K–8
farm life7 books · Grades K–12
wolves7 books · Grades K–8- bears5 books · Grades K–5
- mice5 books · Grades K–8
- swine5 books · Grades K–12
- animals, fiction4 books · Grades K–8
- human-animal relationships4 books · Grades K–8
- pigs4 books · Grades K–3
- pigs, fiction4 books · Grades K–3
tornadoes4 books · Grades K–6- animals, mythical3 books · Grades K–8
birds3 books · Grades K–8- chickens3 books · Grades K–5
- country life3 books · Grades K–8
- donkeys3 books · Grades K–8
- foxes3 books · Grades K–5
ocean3 books · Grades 2–8- perros3 books · Grades K–8
- rabbits3 books · Grades K–12
summer3 books · Grades 3–7
zoos3 books · Grades 3–8
More themes
School life, the arts, sports and everything else on file.
schools51 books · Grades K–12- school27 books · Grades 2–8
new york times bestseller15 books · Grades K–12
memory14 books · Grades K–12- diaries13 books · Grades K–12
- drama13 books · Grades 6–12
- community12 books · Grades K–12
- poetry11 books · Grades K–12
spanish language materials10 books · Grades K–8
high schools9 books · Grades 3–12- stories in rhyme9 books · Grades K–9
- schools, fiction8 books · Grades K–12
art7 books · Grades K–8- middle schools7 books · Grades 2–8
- new york times reviewed7 books · Grades K–8
- picture books7 books · Grades K–3
- teachers7 books · Grades K–8
education6 books · Grades K–12
ficción juvenil6 books · Grades K–8- authorship5 books · Grades K–8
- baseball5 books · Grades 2–9
basketball5 books · Grades 3–9- city and town life5 books · Grades K–12
football5 books · Grades K–12- libraries5 books · Grades K–8
music5 books · Grades K–9
schools in fiction5 books · Grades K–12
american poetry4 books · Grades 3–12
characters in literature4 books · Grades K–8
everyday life4 books · Grades 1–12
language and thought4 books · Grades 3–12
letters4 books · Grades K–6
novela juvenil4 books · Grades 3–8- pictorial works4 books · Grades K–8
- picture books for children4 books · Grades K–3
- play4 books · Grades K–10
- plays4 books · Grades 2–12
school stories4 books · Grades K–8
storytelling4 books · Grades 3–12
bedtime3 books · Grades K–3
birthdays3 books · Grades 4–6- caldecott medal3 books · Grades K–4
contests3 books · Grades K–6- english drama3 books · Grades 9–12
- libraries, fiction3 books · Grades K–8
middle school3 books · Grades 3–7- nursery rhymes3 books · Grades K–8
- open library staff picks3 books · Grades 9–12
- school principals3 books · Grades K–8
short stories3 books · Grades 4–8
soccer3 books · Grades K–8
sports3 books · Grades 3–12
words3 books · Grades 3–9