Treasury · Merit

ALSC Notables

The Association for Library Service to Children's notable children's books, chosen and annotated by librarians every year since 1940.

1,422 books in the catalog stand on this list. The list itself (opens the list's own website) ↗

A reader aged

1,056 of these books cover age 12.

• 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye, 2002 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 910L · AR 5.8 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• 90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis, 2010 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 790L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Black Hole Is Not a Hole by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano, 2012 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 900L · AR 6.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern, 2001 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 790L · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship by Russell Freedman, 2012 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 1110L · AR 8.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff, 2014 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Accused!: The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys: Lies, Prejudice, and the Fourteenth Amendment by Larry Dane Brimner, 2019 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 1170L · AR 8.3 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin, 2002 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.5 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, 2024 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 830L · AR 5.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Adam and Thomas by Aharon Appelfeld, 2015 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 630L · AR 4.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in Schools by Debbie Levy, 2025 · ages 10–17
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• A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln, 2023 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 810L · AR 6.0
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• A Dream of Freedom by Diane McWhorter, 2004 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1220L · AR 9.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Face First by Priscilla Cummings, 2001 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 680L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge, 2017 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 920L · AR 6.6 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children by Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg, 2005 · ages 6–13
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• A Faraway Island by Annika Thor, 2009 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 680L · AR 4.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat, 2023 · ages 10–17 · AR 2.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson, 2008 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return by Zeina Abirached, 2007 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 680L · AR 3.4 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer, 1996 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 730L · AR 5.1 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett, 2004 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 750L · AR 5.3 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya, 2025 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 750L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, 2022 · ages 12–17 · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Nelson, 2007 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1030L · AR 6.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, 2004 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 760L · AR 5.1 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms by Paul B. Janeczko, 2005 · ages 8–17 · AR 6.0
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• Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, 2004 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 600L · AR 3.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera, 2023 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All Alone in the Universe by Lynne Rae Perkins, 2000 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 720L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall, 2006 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 950L · AR 5.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson, 2017 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 460L · AR 3.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson, 2025 · ages 8–13 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
  also on Newbery Award
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• All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker, 2019 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 910L · AR 5.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat, 2020 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1020L · AR 7.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha, 2020 · ages 10–17 · AR 3.4 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone, 2009 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 980L · AR 7.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck, 1998 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 750L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed, 2018 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 600L · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, 2021 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 700L · AR 4.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Maze Me: Poems for Girls by Naomi Shihab Nye, 2005 · ages 10–17 · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Amber & Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz, 2021 · ages 10–17 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming, 2011 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 930L · AR 6.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell by Don Brown, 2011 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 840L · AR 5.8 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow, 2022 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1080L · AR 8.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Amina's Voice by Hena Khan, 2017 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 800L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Moose Boosh: A Few Choice Words about Food by Shabazz Larkin, 2014 · ages 10–13
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• An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy, 2003 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1130L · AR 9.0 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• Anastasia's Album by Hugh Brewster, 1996 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 1010L · AR 6.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith, 2021 · ages 8–17 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• An Extraordinary Life by Laurence Pringle, 1997 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1140L · AR 7.2
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• Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain by Russell Freedman, 2013 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 1140L · AR 7.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Aniana del Mar Jumps in by Jasminne Mendez, 2023 · ages 10–13 · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics by Steve Jenkins, 2016 · ages 4–13 · Lexile 940L
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• An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming by Al Gore, 2007 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1070L · AR 7.4
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• An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, 2019 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1220L · AR 9.6
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• An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holub, 2005 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 640L · AR 4.6
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• Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures by Menno Metselaar, 2009 · ages 10–13 · AR 6.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol, 2011 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 240L · AR 2.3 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin, 2009 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 640L · AR 4.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata, 2019 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Place to Call Home by Jackie French Koller, 1995 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 670L · AR 5.1 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus, 2021 · ages 8–13 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything by Martin W. Sandler, 2018 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1200L · AR 8.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Arcady's Goal by Eugene Yelchin, 2014 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 630L · AR 4.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman, 2022 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 950L · AR 5.5 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Armstrong and Charlie by Steven B. Frank, 2017 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 630L · AR 4.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga, 2022 · ages 8–13 · AR 4.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, 2018 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 630L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds, 2016 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Ashes to Asheville by Sarah Dooley, 2017 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 800L · AR 4.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos, 2006 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 790L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, 2021 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 710L · AR 5.3 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, 2014 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 680L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Song for You and I by Katie O'Neill, 2025 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 530L
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• A Step from Heaven by An Na, 1997 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 670L · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: UG (9–12)
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• A Story about Cancer with a Happy Ending by India Desjardins, 2019 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 830L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, 2010 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux, 2010 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 700L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman, 2014 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 720L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly, 2025 · ages 8–13 · AR 7.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• At the Edge of the World by Avi, 2006 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 730L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Attucks!: Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team That Awakened a City by Phillip Hoose, 2018 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1110L · AR 7.5 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe, 2022 · ages 8–13 · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat, 2020 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 720L · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day, 2025 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 780L · AR 6.3 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff, 2025 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 840L · AR 5.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola, 2015 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 340L · AR 2.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion by Russell Freedman, 1999 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 1060L · AR 7.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bad Sister by Charise Mericle Harper, 2021 · ages 8–13 · AR 2.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bandit's Moon by Sid Fleischman, 1998 · ages 6–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs, 2021 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 730L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff, 1998 · ages 10–13 · Lexile 930L · AR 5.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Battling Boy by Paul Pope, 2013 · ages 10–17 · Lexile 390L · AR 2.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Beavers by Rachel Poliquin, 2018 · ages 6–13 · Lexile 890L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith, 2023 · ages 10–13 · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America by Russell Freedman, 2014 · ages 12–17 · Lexile 1160L · AR 7.6 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker's Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty by Russell Freedman, 2013 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1170L · AR 8.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Becoming Joe DiMaggio by Maria Testa, 2002 · ages 12–17 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson, 2020 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1010L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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Only the first 100 of 1,056 are listed here.