Book Band Colour Guide

Book Bands are a widely used guided reading system designed to foster and enhance the reading abilities of pupils in early years and primary education. Originally developed by the UCL Institute of Education, the scheme serves as a helpful tool for primary school teachers to support pupils’ literacy development. It organises reading materials into 17 colour-coded levels, providing a clear progression from beginner to advanced reading. Book Bands have become popular because they offer both teachers and parents a structured framework for tracking a child's reading journey, integrating smoothly into whole-school reading programs.

What Do the Book Band Levels Mean?

The Book Band scheme features 17 levels, starting with Lilac (Level 0) and progressing to Black (Level 16). The first 13 levels, up to Lime, are primarily intended for early years to Key Stage 1 pupils, while the higher levels are designed for more advanced readers in Key Stage 2. The lower levels focus on foundational skills such as storytelling, phonics, and early sentence construction for Reception pupils. As readers progress, they encounter increasingly complex texts that introduce new letters, sounds, and sentence structures. The higher levels cater to strong readers in upper Key Stage 2 who are ready to engage with diverse reading materials and explore deeper analysis and comprehension. Although each level is linked to a suggested year group, pupils may advance more quickly or need additional support, allowing the scheme to accommodate both accelerated and struggling readers.

Lilac Book Bands (Level 0)

Lilac level is intended for children in Reception (Year R) who are just beginning their literacy journey. These books contain no words, only illustrations. The focus is on helping children understand how stories work by using pictures to follow a narrative. This level encourages the development of basic book-handling skills, such as holding a book correctly, turning pages in the correct order, and interpreting visual cues.

Aims:

• Learn to pick up a book properly and hold it the right way up.
• Turn pages sequentially, understanding the direction of reading.
• Use pictures to tell a story and predict what might happen next.
• Discuss the illustrations and begin to understand the story structure.

 

Pink Book Bands (Level 1)

Pink level books are suitable for Reception (Year R), and occasionally for exceptional nursery pupils. These books introduce very simple text, with just 1–5 words per page. Children are encouraged to match spoken words to written text and begin recognising familiar words. The emphasis is on reinforcing early phonetic awareness with simple sounds like s, a, t, p, and blending them into basic words like "sat" or "pat."

Aims:

• Recognise and read simple high-frequency words.
• Begin to blend basic phonetic sounds to form simple words.
• Understand that text follows a left-to-right direction.
• Match spoken language to written words on the page.

Red Book Bands (Level 2)

Red level books are also aimed at Reception (Year R) and sometimes Year 1. These books contain 5–10 words per page and introduce slightly longer, yet still simple, sentences. The text is repetitive, helping children become more familiar with sight words such as "can," "big," and "see." Readers continue to practice blending phonemes and decoding simple words while building confidence in recognising common words independently.

Aims:

• Recognise and read a wider range of common high-frequency words.
• Blend phonemes more confidently and begin to read with fluency.
• Read simple sentences independently with the help of pictures.
• Show growing confidence in recognising punctuation like full stops.

Yellow Book Bands (Level 3)

Yellow level books, typically for Reception (Year R) or Year 1, contain 10–15 words per page and introduce slightly more varied sentences, though repetition still plays a key role. Children encounter more digraphs such as sh, ch, and th, as well as new words like "look," "here," and "said." Pupils develop fluency and expression, relying less on pictures and more on phonics to decode words.

Aims:

• Build fluency in reading longer sentences and expressing the text aloud.
• Recognise and read words with digraphs like sh, ch, and th.
• Rely less on picture clues and more on decoding skills.
• Begin to read with appropriate expression and attention to punctuation.

Blue Book Bands (Level 4)

Blue level books are aimed at Year 1 pupils and advanced Reception children. These books contain 15–20 words per page and offer more complex sentence structures. Children encounter more varied vocabulary and characters start speaking through dialogue. Words like "play," "little," and "night" appear more frequently, and phonics skills are expanded with vowel digraphs like ee and oo.

Aims:

• Read longer, more varied sentences with increased fluency.
• Recognise and read more complex phonetic patterns like ee and oo.
• Read dialogue with appropriate expression and intonation.
• Develop comprehension by following longer narrative threads and multiple characters.

Green Book Bands (Level 5)

Green level books are suitable for Year 1 or Year 2 readers, containing 15-20 words per page. At this level, children begin to read with greater -independence, encountering more varied sentence structures and vocabulary like "because," "under," and "there." They develop skills for recognising vowel combinations and digraphs such as ai, ay, and ea, while improving comprehension of more complex plots.

Aims:

• Read with greater independence and fluency across a wider range of texts.
• Recognise and decode more complex vowel combinations and digraphs.
• Improve comprehension by understanding simple cause and effect in stories.
• Read with more expression, understanding dialogue and punctuation.

Orange Book Bands (Level 6)

Orange level books, for Year 1 or 2, contain 20-25 words per page. They introduce more complex sentence structures and less predictable text, encouraging children to read more independently. Words such as "different," "something," and "everyone" become common, and readers encounter more advanced phonemes like igh and ow. Stories feature dilemmas and challenges, requiring greater comprehension skills.

Aims:

• Read more independently with minimal reliance on picture clues.
• Decode more advanced phonemes like igh and ow.
• Improve comprehension by solving simple conflicts or dilemmas in the stories.
• Develop a broader vocabulary and use context to decode unfamiliar words.

Turquoise Book Bands (Level 7)

Turquoise level books, aimed at Year 2 but sometimes accessed by advanced Year 1 pupils, have around 20-25 words per page. Stories are longer and more complex, with detailed plots and vocabulary like "through," "laughed," and "suddenly." Readers are expected to use more advanced phonics knowledge, including graphemes like oa and ew, and develop their ability to infer meaning from context.

Aims:

• Read with fluency and expression, handling more complex texts confidently.
• Decode less familiar vowel digraphs such as oa and ew.
• Use context to infer meaning and predict story outcomes.
• Improve stamina by reading longer stories with minimal picture support.

Purple Book Bands (Level 8)

Purple level books are for Year 2 pupils. These books contain 25-30 words per page, introducing more detailed narrative structures and character development. Vocabulary includes words like "disappeared," "explained," and "whispered," and children continue to encounter more complex vowel combinations. The focus shifts toward understanding deeper meanings in the text and making more accurate predictions.

Aims:

• Read with fluency, handling a range of text types and more advanced plots.
• Develop inferential comprehension by understanding characters' motivations and actions.
• Apply knowledge of complex vowel combinations to decode tricky words.
• Build reading stamina and confidence in reading independently.

Gold Book Bands (Level 9)

Gold level books are typically for Year 2 and Year 3 pupils may still read at this level. Each book contains a word count of around 1,190-1,530 and texts have more complex plots with richer descriptions. Readers encounter words like "suddenly," "although," and "questioned." These stories often involve multiple characters and subplots, requiring children to apply critical thinking and comprehension skills, including inference and deduction.

Aims:

• Read longer texts with greater fluency and confidence.
• Follow multiple plotlines and characters, using inference to understand deeper meanings.
• Apply critical thinking to predict outcomes and solve story-based problems.
• Expand vocabulary and continue developing comprehension through contextual understanding.

White Book Bands (Level 10)

White level books, for Year 2 or Year 3, feature more sophisticated plots with a word count of 1,190–1,530. Children are expected to read independently, applying their phonics knowledge to more complex word structures like ure and tion. Texts often explore moral dilemmas or more nuanced themes, and pupils must read critically and reflectively.

Aims:

• Read fluently with minimal assistance, handling more complex texts confidently.
• Decode more difficult graphemes like ure and tion.
• Explore deeper themes, moral dilemmas, and character development.
• Apply critical thinking and inferencing to comprehend stories.

 

Lime Book Bands (Level 11)

Lime level books, for Year 2, Year 3 or early Year 4, help children become more confident, fluent readers with a higher average word count of around 1,980–2,640. Texts have complex plots, multiple characters, and events that occur simultaneously. Vocabulary becomes more sophisticated, requiring children to apply higher-level comprehension skills. Readers explore multiple layers of meaning and develop a stronger ability to infer deeper emotions and relationships.

Aims:

• Read more challenging books independently, tracking multiple events and characters.
• Apply higher-level comprehension strategies, such as inferring emotions and relationships.
• Develop critical thinking skills to interpret deeper meanings in texts.
• Become confident in handling longer, more complex texts.

Brown Book Bands (Level 12)

Brown level books, for Years 3 or 4, include extended narratives with 100–150 words per page. The stories have deeper character exploration and plots often involve moral or ethical dilemmas. Children are encouraged to think critically and reflect on the characters' decisions and emotions, as well as how events unfold over time.

Aims:

• Read and comprehend longer stories with richer plots and character development.
• Engage with moral and ethical dilemmas, considering different perspectives.
• Think critically and reflect on the characters' choices and their impact on the plot.
• Strengthen the ability to read extended texts independently.

Grey Book Bands (Level 13)

Grey level books are for Years 4 and 5, featuring sophisticated texts with 150–200 words per page. Plots are intricate, often including multiple storylines, and vocabulary becomes increasingly advanced. Readers are expected to infer meaning, interpret symbolism, and understand complex emotional relationships between characters.

Aims:

• Read with fluency and comprehension at a higher level, handling multiple storylines.
• Infer deeper meanings and understand the symbolism in stories.
• Interpret complex emotional relationships and character development.
• Build critical thinking skills by analysing more mature themes and ideas.

Dark Blue Book Bands (Level 14)

Dark Blue level books, aimed at Year 5, are highly advanced, with 200–300 words per page and rich, mature themes. Texts challenge readers to think critically, drawing connections between various plot elements, characters, and themes. Readers explore complex emotions, moral questions, and subtle themes such as ambiguity and symbolism.

Aims:

• Read complex texts independently, interpreting abstract themes and ideas.
• Think critically and reflect on moral, ethical, and emotional dilemmas.
• Understand and interpret symbolism and nuanced meanings in stories.
• Engage with more mature, sophisticated themes, preparing for young adult literature.

Burgundy Book Bands (Level 15)

Burgundy level books are for Year 5 and 6 readers and provide a bridge between children's books and young adult literature. Texts at this level include intricate plots and explore mature themes such as relationships, personal challenges, and social issues. Vocabulary is increasingly advanced, with 200–300 words per page, and the books often require deeper comprehension, critical thinking, and analysis.

Aims:

• Engage with more complex and mature themes in literature.
• Read fluently with minimal support, tackling sophisticated narratives.
• Apply critical thinking skills to analyse characters, plot twists, and themes.
• Begin transitioning towards young adult and adult literature, fostering independent reading.

 

Black Book Bands (Level 16)

Black level books, for Year 6 and beyond, represent the most advanced stage of reading in the book bands. These texts often contain 300+ words per page and cover multifaceted plots, themes, and characters. Vocabulary is sophisticated, and themes may explore deep moral, ethical, and emotional issues. Readers are expected to engage in critical analysis, reflecting on the broader implications of the text, and begin to form their own interpretations of complex ideas.

Aims:

• Read and understand complex, multi-layered texts independently.
• Engage critically with deep moral, ethical, and emotional themes.
• Interpret and analyse symbolism and thematic nuances in a sophisticated way.
• Comfortably choose and explore a diverse range of books, including adult literature, preparing for the transition to independent, advanced reading.