Format and Reading Level: Not the Same Thing

Any profession has jargon. I once read that the difference between a job and a profession is the presence of jargon—and librarianship is no exception. For those of you who didn’t get an advanced degree in information science, here’s a clarification of a couple of the terms we use which may help when we’re recommending books to you.

When we talk about format, we’re talking about the way that the information is arranged or displayed in a book. When we talk about reading level, we’re talking about the developmental stage of the person reading the book (or being read to). 

Since that probably didn’t clarify anything, let me explain the different formats and give examples of different reading levels within each format.

Picture Book

Picture books are those where the words convey the story or the information, and the illustrations are supplemental. Many picture books are written for preschool-aged children, meant to be read by an adult to a child. But then many others are not.  Goodnight Moon will always be a top choice for the preschool crowd at bedtime, but give P Is For Pterodactyl to adults and you’ll understand the difference between a picture book that appeals to the preschool reading level and one that appeals to a more mature crowd.

Easy Reader

Easy readers are the books in which format and reading level are most closely related. Easy readers are purposefully written with few words on a page, larger type, and lots of white space.  All of these make it easier to decipher the words on the page. Easy readers also include a lot of sight words. (This is the educational term for words that people will be able to recognize without having to sound them out or puzzle out their meaning. Sight words include words like “the,” “in,” or “and.”)  While it’s true that easy readers are often written for first- and second-graders, they are also perfect for someone who is learning a new language. 

Graphic Novel

A graphic novel is a book in which the illustrations tell as much of the story or the information as the words tell. Unlike reading a picture book, if you were to listen to a book in a graphic novel format without looking at any of the pictures, you wouldn’t understand what was going on. Some graphic novels, like the gorgeous The Arrival by Shaun Tan, don’t have any words at all. Many people think of comics when they think of graphic novels, which is a good association. But a board book like My First Book of Patterns by Bobby and June George or a complex adult memoir like Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley also fit the category.  Without the illustrations, a book written in the graphic novel format just won’t make sense.

Chapter Book

Many times when we hear the phrase “chapter book” we think about kids who are just learning how to follow a storyline from one chapter to the next. But we’re forgetting that most adult books are chapter books, just longer and more complex ones. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng are all chapter books, and all three are written for different reading levels.

A final note: Fiction and nonfiction are not formats. Fiction and nonfiction are terms that describe how the reader will learn from the book. Readers learn through imagination when reading fiction books and readers learn through information when reading nonfiction books.  Any of the above formats come in both fiction and nonfiction options. Most of the kids’ nonfiction books are in the picture book format. Many memoir writers are currently enjoying the graphic novel format. The vast majority of adult nonfiction books use the chapter book format, though some could best be categorized in the picture book format. 

A book’s format doesn’t determine its reading level or its content, just how the words and possible illustrations interact. As always, if you’re reading to explore a different format, we’re happy to suggest books that will fit with your interests and your reading level.

Amie P.

Library CEO