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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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...
Anger is a gift
Oshiro, Mark
Paper Book
*31st Annual Lammy Finalist for LGBTQ Children's/Young Adult category* *2019 ALA Schneider Family Book Award Teen Winner* *Buzzfeed's 24 Best YA Books of 2018* *Vulture's 38 Best LGBTQ YA Novels* *...
Bloodhound
Pierce, Tamora.
Ebook
A #1 New York Times bestseller from the fantasy author who is legend herself: TAMORA PIERCE. In this second book in the Beka Cooper Trilogy, Beka uses her unique magic and street smarts to solve dangerous mystery! Is Beka ready for her first real mission?
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...
Bronx masquerade
Grimes, Nikki.
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Award winner! Using the structure of a poetry slam, Nikki Grimes' award-winning novel is a powerful exploration of self, an homage to spoken-word poetry, and an intriguing look into the life of eighteen urban teens. This anniversary edition--celebrating ten...
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 ...
If you come softly
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Paper Book
A lyrical story of star-crossed love perfect for readers of The Hate U Give, by National Ambassador for Children's Literature Jacqueline Woodson--now celebrating its twentieth anniversary, and including a new preface by the author Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin....
Loving vs. Virginia : a documentary novel of the landmark civil rights case
Powell, Patricia Hruby
Paper Book
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...
The memory of light
Stork, Francisco X. author.
Ebook
This beautiful novel from the author of Marcelo in the Real World about life after a suicide attempt is perfect for fans of It's Kind of a Funny Story and Thirteen Reasons Why.When Vicky Cruz wakes up in the Lakeview Hospital Mental Disorders ward, she knows one thing: After her...
Monday's Not Coming
Jackson, Tiffany D.
Ebook
"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...
Swing
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
In this YA novel in verse from bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (Solo), which Kirkus called "lively, moving, and heartfelt" in a starred review, Noah and Walt just want to leave their geek days behind and find "cool," but in the process discover a lot about first loves,...
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...

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