Content Descriptions: Reading Assistant, Grades 9-12 · Content Descriptions: Reading Assistant,...

* The Lexile Framework for Reading® © 2012 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Content Descriptions: Reading Assistant, Grades 9-12

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Reading Assistant for Grades 9-12 contains highly-illustrated selections that relate to adolescents’ interests as well as topics from science, social studies, and literature standards. Drawn from authentic contemporary, classic, and multicultural literature, selections are grouped into clusters—groups of 3-6 selections about a common topic or theme. This organization helps students build a body of knowledge and deepen vocabulary understanding by reading key words in different contexts. Clusters include a variety of genre—fiction, personal narratives, jokes, poetry, eyewitness accounts and journals, expository nonfiction, and biography—and range in reading level from Grade 3 to Grade 12.

World History: History and technology This chapter book traces the history and technology of merry-go-rounds from their origin 900 years ago in Arabia. Readers see that everyday objects have unexpected connections with history and that people develop technology to make work easier and safer.

Reading Level 3-2

Chapter Book: Merry Go Rounds Genre

Grade Equiv. Lexile®*

Guided Reading Level

Merry Go Rounds Chapter 1by Art Thomas

Nonfiction 3 430 N The story of merry-go-rounds began over 900 years ago in the country of Arabia.


Nonfiction 3 430 N What did the first merry-go-rounds look and how did they change over time?


Nonfiction 3 430 N During the Industrial Revolution, merry-go-rounds evolved from being animal- and people-powered to being steam-powered.




Reading Level 3-2

Chapter Book: Merry Go Rounds Genre




Nonfiction 3 430 N Today’s merry-go-rounds work differently than those in earlier times, but they are still popular with children and adults.

Afterword: Whirling Works of Artby Katherine Follett

Nonfiction 3 740 N Unusual and unique merry-go-rounds are found all across the United States. This nonfiction afterword describes some of the unique, historical merry-go-rounds found in many American towns.




Science: Oceans The ocean is a subject for scientists and writers alike. This cluster provides information about oceans and ocean life and includes two well-known literary examples of writers’ fascination with the sea.

Reading Level 4-1 The Vast Ocean Genre



Hitching a Rideby Rebecca L. Johnson

Nonfiction 4 600 N When scientist Greg Marshall saw a remora attached to a shark, he got the idea to attach a camera to undersea animals. The “crittercam” was born, allowing scientists to witness the daily lives of sea creatures.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Aboard the NautilusAdapted from Jules Verne

Classic fiction 4 680 P A search for a sea monster brings a small group of researchers face to face with the mysterious Captain Nemo. In this excerpt from the classic novel, Professor Pierre Aronnax and his companions are brought on board the Nautilus.

Sea Feverby John Masefield

Poetry NP NP NP The feeling one gets when sailing over the ocean waves draws many people to the sea. This poem describes that feeling through sights, smells, and sounds.




History: U.S. history Historical events, language, and cultural norms are intertwined, each shaping the other in predictable and unpredictable ways. These selections illustrate that interrelationship through the example of baseball.

Reading Level 4-2 The Great American Pastime Genre



Play Ball!by Michael Ruscoe

Nonfiction 4 710 Q The Civil War, World War II, and the Civil Rights movement all influenced the development of baseball, making the history of America and baseball intertwined.

Who’s on First?by Abbot and Costello

Play 1 580 P Abbott and Costello were a comedy team popular in the late 1930s through the 1950s. Their most popular routine, Who’s on First?, is a funny dialog about America’s pastime.

Take Me Out to the Ballgameby Helena Kristensen

Nonfiction 4 750 Q If someone says, “Quick, think of a baseball song,” what pops into your head? “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908 and is still popular today.

Casey at the Batby Ernest ThayerArt by Marcus Chu

Poetry 4 NP R This classic poem is part of the fabric of America’s pastime. It also teaches about dealing with what appears to be failure.




Environmental Science: Pollution and conservation These selections look at a range of issues dealing with pollution. The side effects of light pollution—a little-discussed form of pollution—are outlined. A persuasive essay discusses conservation, and the final selection outlines how global warming is not a recent concern.

Reading Level 5-1 Our Planet’s Challenges Genre



Not So Starry Nightsby Sharon Guynap

Nonfiction 4 710 P Is light pollution turning night into day? Modern life and technology affect what we see in the night sky, but also the behavior of animals that depend on the dark, night sky for safety or for navigating by stars.

Handle With Careby Kate Boehm Jerome

Essay 7 780 Q Plants and animals, including humans, need food and water to survive. To protect these resources, we need to keep the air clean and the water drinkable.

Early Warnings About Global Warmingby Robert Ing

Nonfiction 6 890 R Excerpts from a newspaper and a scientific journal show that some scientists have been worrying about global worming for quite a while.




Literature: Short story, folktale A common literary element in folklore and short stories alike is the unexpected twist or surprise ending. These four classic pieces of fiction test the reader’s predictions.

Reading Level 5-1 Tales with a Twist Genre



The Cop and the Anthemadapted from O’Henry

Short Story 3 780 Q Soapy is down on his luck again. When an anthem inspires him to turn his life around, things don’t work out the way he planned.

The Last Laugh an Indian folktale retold by William Royce.

Folktale 5 750 S The scoundrel Beeka Mull comes up against the clever Kooshy Ram, and Beeka Mull gets a taste of his own medicine. But who gets the last laugh?

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridgeadapted from Ambrose Bierce

Short Story 4 820 S During the Civil War, Peyton Farquhar stands on Owl Creek Bridge with a noose around his neck. He escapes his captors and swims home. Or does he?

The Necklaceadapted from Guy de Maupassant

Short Story 3 670 R Matilda hides the truth about losing the necklace she borrowed from a friend. When she finally tells her story, she hears a shocking truth and learns a hard lesson.




U.S. History: Immigration America as we know it today was built by immigrants. These selections look at immigrant stories past and present.

Reading Level 5-2 Immigrants Then and Now Genre



How the Other Half Livedby Robert Ing

Nonfiction 5 970 S In the late 1800s, immigrants living on New York’s Lower East Side endured horrendous conditions. This selection highlights how Jacob Riis’s groundbreaking use of photojournalism shocked the public into action.

Seeking Freedomby Daniel Schulman

Nonfiction 3 670 R A central tenet of the U.S. Constitution is a guarantee of the individual freedoms described in the first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights. People often immigrate to the U.S. in order to enjoy those freedoms.

Immigrants Todayby Ann Rossi

Nonfiction 5 830 Q Immigrants today absorb American culture while retaining some traditions from their original cultures. This selection discusses why people come to the United States and how they build new lives.




Science: Epidemiology These selections look at the effects of the spread of disease from the days of European Exploration of North America to today.

Reading Level 5-2

Science and the Spread of Disease Genre



European Diseases in the New Worldby Nancy Day

Nonfiction 5 855 R Europeans spread deadly diseases in their exploration of the New World. Smallpox, flu, and other diseases were spread to millions of people who had no immunity to them, no knowledge of how to avoid them, and no medicines to fight them.

John Snow and the Cholera Epidemicby Cindy Orrell

Nonfiction 5 950 S In 1854, hundreds of Londoners fell deathly ill from cholera. This selection contains Dr. John Snow’s own words describing how he solved the mystery of cholera’s spread. This famous case began the modern science of epidemiology.

The Geography of Diseaseby Wendy Svec

Nonfiction 5 920 T Epidemiologists look for patterns in medical data to discover what causes and spreads disease. The warnings they give as a result of the knowledge they gain can save lives.




History: U.S. history Throughout history, certain individuals or inventions have changed societies and begun entirely new eras. Thomas Edison is such an inventor—the technologies and businesses he developed are fundamental to the development of the 20th Century.

Reading Level 6-1 Bright Lights, Big City Genre



Thomas Edison: Edison Lights Up New York Cityby Bruce Watson

Nonfiction 6 870 T Until the 1880s and the work of Thomas Edison, U.S. cities were lit by gas lamps. As much businessman as inventor, Edison made good on his promise: “We will make electric light so cheap that only the rich will be able to burn candles.”

New York in Edison’s Eraby Bruce Watson

Nonfiction 6 1010 V New York City is powered by electricity, natural gas, and steam and Consolidated Edison is the company that provides most of this power. Over several years, several companies were joined to form the giant corporation that exists today.

The World Beneath the Streetsby Catharine Helck

Nonfiction 6 960 V Beneath the streets of New York City, there is a world of power, water, and information. Subway tunnels and other passages create an underground maze full of the everyday—and the unexpected.




Literature: Science fiction and fantasy Science fiction and fantasy are popular genres with adolescent readers. One fiction selection explores a creepy creature who wants to “farm” Earth’s citizens, and the other explores a grandmother’s gift.

Reading Level 6-1 Other Worlds Genre



The Cavern of the Shining OnesAdapted from the novella by Hal K. Wells

Science Fiction 6 930 V What is Layroh’s REAL purpose in leading his crew through the desert? The mission takes a turn for the strange when they reach a mysterious cave. Who are the shining ones and why are they there?

The Silver Doorby Claire Daniel

Fantasy 6 860 T A young girl who faces a winter of hunger finds a secret door. What is the mysterious connection between the door and her grandmother?

Great Science FictionBy Katherine Follett

Nonfiction 6 900 V The Golden Age of science fiction was the early 20th century, but stories about the moon were written as early as the 17th century.




Technology: Inventors and inventions Building on ideas from an earlier cluster, these selections examine the influence of inventions on history, language, and daily life.

Reading Level 6-2 The Mother of Invention Genre



Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park

Biography 6 860 V All of us will probably invent at least one thing in our lifetime. Thomas Edison invented the electric light, but what else did he invent? Thomas Edison has more patents registered in his name than any other person in the world.

New Words for New Inventions: Word Lore

Nonfiction 6 870 R How does a new invention get its name? One way is to recycle words from ancient languages! Words like “electricity” and “telephone” were developed for what were then new inventions.

The Mother of Inventionby Ellen Chapman

Nonfiction 6 960 V Inventors have long worked to make everyday routines a little easier. Many inventions were first designed for, or by, people with specific disabilities. Some of these inventors are children.




U.S. history: The Lewis and Clark expedition The drama and adventure of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition began with Thomas Jefferson’s dream for the nation. A contemporary fiction selection puts part of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition in a modern context.

Reading Level 6-2 North American Adventures Genre



Lewis and Clark: Exploring the Louisiana Purchaseby Jerry Miller

Nonfiction 4 940 W In November of 1805, a small group of explorers fulfilled Thomas Jefferson’s dream, traveling overland from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast.

Lewis and Clark:Animals of the Westby Elise Forier and Mike Weinstein

Nonfiction 6 930 W When Lewis and Clark journeyed west to the Pacific Ocean, they did not know what kinds of animals they would encounter. They were met by prairie dogs, grizzly bears, and other animals described here.

Sacagaweaby Lisa Belcher-Hamilton

Biography 6 940 T Sacagawea was a girl of remarkable courage who grew into a strong, respected woman on the journey to the northwestern corner of the Louisiana Territory. This selection provides a brief biography of this American icon.

Roadtrip! The Garcias Visit the Great Falls Corridorby Catharine Helck

Nonfiction 6 1010 V Imagine seeing the West as Lewis and Clark did on their journey in the early 1800s! The Garcia family does just that on a family trip out west.




U.S. history: Columbus’ influence on the new world These selections offer a different point of view about the well-known story of Christopher Columbus, that of the native Taino people of Hispaniola.

Reading Level 7

Columbus and the Taino Tragedy Genre



Columbus and the Taino Tragedyby Craig Gingold

Nonfiction 6 1000 W Columbus’ actions in the West Indies spelled tragedy for the native Taino. By 1514 Hispaniola’s population, an estimated two million pre-Columbus, had plummeted to fewer than 30,000 people.

Columbus Day Controversyby Elizabeth Austin

Point-Counterpoint 7 1050 X People disagree about whether Columbus is a hero or a criminal. This article gives each side’s point of view and lets the reader decide.

The Tainos Todayby Craig Gingold

Nonfiction 6 1050 X The Tainos were decimated and then largely forgotten. They were assumed to have died out, but modern DNA evidence indicates otherwise.




Life Science: The human body and sleep These selections present sleepwalking research, facts and lore. Sleepwalking stories can help us learn about human behavior—and also provide a chuckle or two.

Reading Level 7 Sleepwalkers Genre



Sleepwalkersby Faith Hickman Byrnie

Nonfiction 7 1300 Y About 15% of all children and 10% of all adults sleepwalk. Sleepwalkers are living in a world of unconscious perception--one where they can perceive a world but not commit it to memory.

Sleepwalking Storiesby Elise Mariel del Fuego

Nonfiction 7 1070 X Sleepwalking is what scientists call a “parasomnia.” People who have this serious-sounding condition can have some not-so-serious adventures. People who walk in their sleep sometimes do pretty strange things.

Life Science: The Human body and nutrition Nutrition information can be confusing. These selections look at the practical aspects of reading and understanding nutrition labels, as well as the debate over whether vitamins supplements are beneficial.

Reading Level 7 You Are What You Eat Genre



Nutrition and Brainpowerby Faith Hickman Byrnie

Nonfiction 7 1030 X What you eat affects your mind as well as your body. Learning how to read nutrition labels can help you make healthy food choices.

Take Your Vitamins… Or Don’t?by Katherine Follett

Point-Counterpoint 6 1000 X It’s quick and easy to pop a vitamin pill - but is it really the best way to get the nutrients your body needs? Readers see and evaluate two points of view.




Environmental Science: Pollution and waste disposal The amount of trash generated by the United States is overwhelming. This cluster examines long-term effects of our consumptive, throw-away society as well as recent efforts toward reuse and recycling. Trash to Treasure makes an unexpected connection between pollution and art.

Reading Level 8 Art, Hope, and Pollution Genre



Pollution: Trash and Recyclingby Nancy Bronstein

Nonfiction 8 1060 Z As a nation, the United States is one of the world’s leading producers of trash. How can recycling help our growing garbage problem?

Trash to Treasureby Claire Daniel

Nonfiction 8 1000 X Start with garbage and end up with . . . art? Creative minds have come up with clever ways to turn ordinary trash into awesome art.

Trouble and Hope for the Great Lakesby Billie Kay Tye

Nonfiction 8 1200 W Pollution and other results of human activity have negatively affected the Great Lakes. Scientists and citizens have plans to reverse some of the damage in these great American natural resources.




History: American history geography The National Park System is a successful American conservation effort. These selections look at the history of the National Park System and the unique qualities of some of U.S. National Parks.

Reading Level 8 Preserved for All Genre



Parks, Conservation and Preservation

Nonfiction 9 1500 Z These selections trace the history of national parks in the United States and describe the National Park Service, the organization that preserves and maintains the parks, monuments, and other areas in the system.

Roosevelt: President and Naturalistby Diana Childress

Nonfiction 8 1190 Y Theodore Roosevelt might have become a zoologist had his love of politics not won out over science. This naturalist president used his position and influence to make Americans aware of environmental issues.

Preserving the Peculiarby Elizabeth Austin

Nonfiction 8 1110 X Enter the remarkable world of our National Parks—places where rocks move by themselves, snowdrifts pile as high as ten stacked-up houses, and hot steam spews right out of the ground!




Life Science: Sleep and the brain Sleep science helps us learn about animal and human behavior and is one way to understand biological connections between animals and humans.

Reading Level 8 Sleep and Dreams Genre



Animals and Dream Studiesby Faith Hickman Byrnie

Nonfiction 7 1000 Z Sophisticated imaging techniques are making research into animal sleep behaviors possible. Some new evidence suggests that, like people, animals dream.

The Brain Never Sleepsby Faith Hickman Byrnie

Nonfiction 8 1000 Z Parts of the brain are responsible for keeping us awake and other parts that is responsible for keeping us asleep. The brain needs sleep, but it never shuts down.




U.S. history: Long distance communication The American Gold Rush, the Pony Express, and the dawn of electronic communications are intertwined. These selections make connections between these historical events, illustrating how one influenced the next.

Reading Level 9 Messages on the Move Genre



What Moved Us West: Gold in Californiaby Helena Kristensen

Nonfiction 6 1130 NA What are those shiny specks in the water that is streaming through Captain Sutter’s new sawmill? Find out how California’s Gold Rush began.

From Smoke Signals to Newspapersby Beth Bohac

Nonfiction 4 960 NA Today, vital information can be quickly spread by telephone or the Internet, but sending news across long distances was especially difficult in early America. The selection provides opportunities for readers to compare different forms of long distance communication.

The Early Mail Serviceby Jane Harrigan

Nonfiction 6 1150 NA Most of us take daily mail delivery for granted, but between 1840 and 1880 the United States mail service was very different from the way it is now.

The Pony Express Nonfiction 8 1100 NA Before telegraph wires connected cities of the eastern United States with settlements of the West, the Pony Express was established to deliver letters and information quickly and reliably. The origins of this uniquely American institution are described here.

Samuel Morseby Nancy Galloway

Nonfiction 6 1010 NA In 1844, Samuel Morse opened the electronic age in communications by sending a message across wires from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Maryland.




U.S. history: Wired and wireless communication Building on the previous cluster about long-distance communication, these selections trace the people and technology behind wired and wireless communication.

Reading Level 9 Airwaves Genre



Make Way for New Inventionsby Beth Bohac

Nonfiction 6 1120 NA Following Morse’s telegraph, today’s electronic communications make it possible for the mass media to get the news to us almost immediately.

Marconi: Father of Radioby Karen F. Hong

Biography 8 1000 NA In 1899, Marconi proved the value of wireless telegraph, later known as radio. One of the most important influences on this technology was the safety of ships at sea.

Sarnoff: Father of American Televisionby Richard L. Mattis

Biography 8 1050 NA David Sarnoff liked to think of things electronics could do for people, and he brought many of his ideas to life. His innovative ideas included radio, black-and-white television, and color television.

Modern Broadcastingby Katherine Follett

Nonfiction 8 1080 NA Satellite radio, Internet webcasts and podcasts, online TV shows—what would the pioneers of early radio and TV think about the ways we broadcast today?




Life Science: The human brain Readers learn about the human brain, its basic structures, and how it changes. The concepts and vocabulary of the first two selections are applied in a different context in the final selection, science fiction that imagines how humans might someday change their brains.

Reading Level 9

Your Constantly Changing Brain Genre



About the Brainby Eric H. Chudler

Nonfiction 9 1100 NA The brain controls emotions, appetite, sleep, heart rate, and breathing. This article explains basic structures inside the brain and they function. It also introduces important background information and vocabulary for the selections that follow.

How Do Your Dendrites Grow?by Jeanne Miller

Nonfiction 8 1000 NA Dendrites, the structures that pass information from one part of the brain to another, are critical for learning. And just as they can grow, they can also shrink!

Dendrites for Saleby Elizabeth Austin

Science Fiction 8 950 NA Zilda is bored with her life and is looking for a change, but is a dendrite implant a good idea? Can she change her mind about changing her mind before it is too late?




Literature: Relationships This collection of classic fiction, poetry, and contemporary fiction explores the theme of making difficult choices in love and friendship. Taken together, the four selections offer an opportunity for readers to consider difficult choices in their own lives.

Reading Level 10/12 Difficult Choices Genre



The Lady or the TigerAdapted from a story by Frank Stockton

Short Story 10 1090 NA Author Frank Stockton’s short story puts the princess at the center of a terrible conflict: whether she will send her lover to his death or let him live and marry another woman?

The Smiling Young Lady of Nigerby William Cosmo Monkhouse

Poetry NP NP NA A lady decides to ride a tiger. When they return from the ride, the tiger wears a big smile. But where has the lady gone? A very short but powerful poem.

Friendship: Making Choicesby Wendy Svec

Nonfiction 8 1050 NA Making and keeping friends isn’t always as easy as it seems. Bullying like that seen in the movie Mean Girls, as well as other friendship-related issues, are explored in this selection.

The Road Not Takenby Robert Frost

Poetry NP NP NA The consequences of choosing one path over another are explored in this classic American poem.




Health and Wellness: The importance of sleep Sleep is an important component of good health and well-being. Science and research vocabulary are introduced and reinforced in these selections about the sleep-health connection and offer readers ideas for getting adequate sleep.

Reading Level 10/12 The Sleep-Health Connection Genre



What Good is Sleep?by Faith Hickman Byrnie

Nonfiction 10 1200 NA This article describes the sleep cycle and the importance of REM and non-REM sleep for health and well-being.

Sleep Deprivation by Kathiana M. Kowalski

Nonfiction 6 900 NA Inadequate amounts of sleep, or sleep deprivation, can result in nervousness, inability to concentrate, and poor health.

Surveying Sleep: The National Sleep Debtby Stephen James O’Meara

Nonfiction 6 1060 NA Recent research shows that Americans are not getting the sleep they need. How are American’s lives changing their sleep patterns?




Language Arts: Speeches and speech-making The ability to write and give memorable, persuasive speeches is an important public speaking skill. These selections review great historical speeches, the basics of good speechwriting, and a student’s personal experiences with speechmaking.

Reading Level 10/12 Speech! Genre



Great Presidential Speechesby Helena Kristensen

Nonfiction with excerpts from U.S. presidential speeches

6 1260 NA All U.S. presidents give speeches, but some presidents are truly outstanding orators. This selection reviews excerpts from great presidential speeches and connects the speeches with milestones in American history.

How to Make a Memorable Speechby Claire Daniel

Nonfiction 10 1010 NA Even those who don’t possess outstanding oratorical skills can create a truly good speech by following some basic rules for writing and presentation. This essay is full of practical speechmaking tips.

Speech Dayby Claire Daniel

Contemporary Fiction 10 990 NA Tomo’s last experience giving a speech wasn’t pleasant, and he’s not too eager to repeat it. But a little coaching from his sister Mari makes a big difference. Students will relate to this account of public speaking challenges and successes.

Lincoln’s Literary Geniusadapted from The Life of Abraham Lincoln, by Henry Ketcham

Nonfiction 10 1080 NA The Gettysburg Address is Abraham’s Lincoln most quoted speech, but he wrote many others. Though Abraham Lincoln was a plainspoken man, his presidential speeches soar with eloquence.

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Speech 8 1500 NA Lincoln’s famous speech, still powerful so many years after he delivered it.




Life Science: Sensory systems Taste and smell are senses that are shared by both humans and animals. These selections highlight the complex systems and functions behind what seem to be basic senses.

Reading Level 8 Taste and Smell Genre



Taste and Smellby George Erdosh

Nonfiction 6 935 X Even though smelling organs and tasting organs are located in different places in our heads, the messages traveling through the nerve systems of both organs arrive in the same area of the brain.

Animals are Smell Superstarsby Stephen James O’Meara

Nonfiction 8 1140 Z Creatures in the wild smell and respond to chemicals in their environments in ways that people can only imagine.

The Genetics of Smell: Do You Smell What I Smell?by Randall Reed

Nonfiction 8 1140 Z Research has proved that, in some cases, variations in smell perception are a result of genetic differences.

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