Skip to Main Content
It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

Teaching Materials Center

This guide is starting point for anyone seeking to learn about the resources available in the Teaching Materials Center. This includes: what general resources are available, how to find specific resources, and how to access materials.

Leveled Books

What Is a Leveled Book?

A leveled book is merely a book that has been assigned a gradient for readability. The gradient may be:

  • a letter
  • a number
  • a grade equivalency

Leveled books may be:

  • written specifically for a publisher and part of their larger leveled book program
  • a well-known title that has been ranked for readability

Certain publishers have leveled book programs created especially for them. These contain pre-leveled titles and are usually accompanied by a Teacher's Guide. Typically, they include book titles that are not "well-known" but are designed to be read quickly, easily and successfully by children who are learning to read.

Leveled book programs include multiple copies of titles (4-6 each) for use with guided reading/small groups. They may have a leveling system that is unique to that publisher.

The TMC has many titles contained within leveled book programs (these have a TMC Text call number prefix) located at the Leveled Book Station. We also have many of the Teacher's Guides for certain programs. We have cataloged them individually for ease in choosing a title or titles for the child with whom you are working. 

How Do I Find Leveled Books?

Option One: NoveList Plus

For detailed instructions on using NoveList Plus, visit the NoveList Plus Page or the Help Videos page: Using NoveList. Alternatively, watch a specific help video linked below. 

NoveList Plus Overview

NoveList Plus is a database of literature that provides synopses and reviews of books, teaching ideas, and a Lexile Ranking (independent readability).

Watch the NoveList Plus Overview video to learn about how to find NoveList on the Milner website and an overview of the main features on NoveList. 

Looking up a Book

Watch the Basic Search for a Title Video to learn about how to search for a book by title on NoveList Plus.

Find and Interpret the Lexile Number

Watch the Determining Readability of a Text/Lexile Levels Video to learn about where to find a book's lexile number on NoveList Plus and how to convert that to an approximate grade level. 

Advanced Searching

Watch the Advanced Searching Video in NoveList to get an overview of search limits (date, audience, grade, awards, etc.), how to narrow results, and find related lists and articles.

Remember that if you find a book on NoveList you will have to check our online catalog to make sure that Milner Library owns that title (there is an embedded Library Catalog link in the record for a particular book).

Option Two: The Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Book List (K - 8+)

Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) includes thousands of titles that have been leveled for you. The alphabetical gradient is located in the front cover of the book and gives you a grade-level range for the ranking. The front half of book sorts books by title and the back half of the book sorts books by level. 

To use: 

1. Consider the relevant grade level in school.

2. View the suggested alphabetical levels in the front cover of F&P for the appropriate grade level (usually a range of 3-4 levels per grade level).

3. Either go to the front half of F&P to find books by title and the corresponding level. Or, go to the second half to find books by level.

4. Search Milner's catalog to check if we have a particular title. Watch a video to see how.

5. If a book isn't in F&P, check NoveList Plus for a Lexile Level equivalent.

Option Three: Leveled Book Bins in the TMC

At the TMC Leveled Readers Station, leveled readers are sorted into bins based on the Fountas and Pinnell system, there are print-outs that explain how to choose an appropriately-leveled book for your needs. Please note that many books not within these bins are leveled. To find these, use either option one or two mentioned above. 

If you would like to search for an appropriate leveled book from one of these bins online, use the following process. 

  1. Determine which F & P level (A-S) is appropriate for your needs using the Readability Comparison Chart (linked above). 
  2. Begin a search using the Milner Library advanced search option. 
  3. In the first line of the search, from the drop-down menu change the default, Any field to Holding call number.
  4. Type in that same first line TMCText LEV, so that the first line reads: Holding call number contains TMCText LEV. 
  5. In the second line type: "Level _" (replacing the underscore with the reading level of interest). Include the quotation marks. 
  6. Click the search button.

Leveled Books Catalog Search