Mid-Level High/Low books

Lexile Level for all titles below is a max of 770 (about 4th grade).

These books feature simpler sentence structures, frequent word repetition, and commonly used vocabulary, resulting in Lexile levels typically associated with younger readers. However, they address mature, age-appropriate themes that resonate with older youth and teens. Hi-Lo books are engaging in their own right, but they are especially valuable for motivating reluctant readers, supporting struggling readers in building confidence and fluency and providing dignified, age-respectful reading options that avoid stigmatization.

Updated April 23, 2026
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Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
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Mid-Level High/Low books

Lexile Level for all titles below is a max of 770 (about 4th grade).

These books feature simpler sentence structures, frequent word repetition, and commonly used vocabulary, resulting in Lexile levels typically associated with younger readers. However, they address mature, age-appropriate themes that resonate with older youth and teens. Hi-Lo books are engaging in their own right, but they are especially valuable for motivating reluctant readers, supporting struggling readers in building confidence and fluency and providing dignified, age-respectful reading options that avoid stigmatization.

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All American boys
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature. In this Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winning novel, two teens--one black, one white--grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that...
The boy in the black suit
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can't handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who's dealt with a lot more--and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down--in this...
Dear Martin
Stone, Nic
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FINALIST * ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME   After a traffic stop turns violent at the hands of the police, a young Black teen grapples with racism--and what it means for his future....
The hate u give
Thomas, Angie
Paper Book
8 starred reviews · Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best · William C. Morris Award Winner · National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book · #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Absolutely riveting!" --Jason Reynolds ...
He said, she said : a novel
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Sparks will fly in this hip-hop-hot, alternating POV teen novel that mixes social protest and star-crossed romance, from Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Kwame Alexander! He Said, She Said is perfect for fans of Walter Dean Myers and Rachel Vail alike. He...
How it went down /
Magoon, Kekla.
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say,...
The long ride
Budhos, Marina Tamar
Paper Book
In the tumult of 1970s New York City, seventh graders are bussed from their neighborhood in Queens to integrate a new school in South Jamaica. Jamila Clarke. Josie Rivera. Francesca George. Three mixed-race girls, close friends whose immigrant parents worked hard to settle their...
Loving vs. Virginia :
Powell, Patricia Hruby,
Audiobook
From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse. In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their...
Monday's not coming /
Jackson, Tiffany D.
Paper Book
"Jackson's characters and their heart-wrenching story linger long after the final page, urging readers to advocate for those who are disenfranchised and forgotten by society and the system." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List") From the critically acclaimed...
On the come up /
Thomas, Angie.
Paper Book
The YA love letter to hip-hop--streaming on Paramount+ September 23, 2022! Starring Sanaa Lathan (in her directorial debut), Jamila C. Gray, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, GaTa (Davionte Ganter), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr.,...
Out of darkness
Pe?rez, Ashley Hope
Paper Book
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book "This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?" New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people...
We were liars
Lockhart, E.
Paper Book
DON'T MISS THE ORIGINAL STREAMING SERIES WE WERE LIARS--AND LOOK FOR E. LOCKHART'S NEW NOVEL IN THE WE WERE LIARS UNIVERSE, WE FELL APART, OUT NOW! #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER The modern, sophisticated suspense novel...
X : a novel
Shabazz, Ilyasah
Paper Book
A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Cowritten by Malcolm X's daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world. Malcolm Little's parents have always told him that he can achieve...
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