As you decipher the bar graphs and national percentile ranks on your child's STAR report, don't ignore the small print in the lower lefthand corner. Here, the state has provided your child's California Reading List Number--a number you can use to encourage your child to read throughout the school year.

More on GreatSchools.net: Reading With Your Child: 10 Ways To Get Results A Guide to the STAR Tests in California

Your child's California Reading List Number is determined by his performance on the reading comprehension portion of the California Standards Test (CST). This number will lead you to books that match your child's reading level and are appropriate for his age.

How to Use the Reading List Number

• First, go to the state's reading list on the Internet here: California Reading List.
• Search for a book by entering your child's grade level as well as the Reading List Number (01 to 13+) from your child's STAR Report.
• The site will bring up titles, authors and short summaries of all materials that match your child's reading level.
• You can refine your search by filling in a keyword, such as "animals" or "mystery."

Instead of selecting books strictly by grade level, the California Reading List allows you to find grade-level books with suitable content. For example, if your seventh grader is reading at the 11th grade level, you can find books written at a high school level that have topics and themes that are interesting for a younger reader.

Where to Find Books
Once you've found some good book suggestions for your child, print out the titles and authors and take your child to your local library or a bookstore, or order books from a vendor on the Internet.

Updated January 2006