I have mentioned this before....it isn't the level that is the most important thing. My ds reads books from 3rd grade level to 6th grade level for battle of the books...no problem. He doesn't like them all but most of the twelve he will enjoy. The thing that makes the easier ones tolerable is that he can go at his own pace. He read Waiting for the Magic last year (by the Sarah plain and tall author I think) and it was a sweet, sweet little book. He read it in less than two hours. Same book if it had been an assignment in class and he would have had to slowly read a chapter a day and painfully discuss vocabulary and comprehension questions...would have been torture and he would have hated the book.
What is assessed reading instructional level? High school . I don't think he needs to be taught high school books at 9 but I don't think you have to watch pacing on books that are easy and give him the highest level novels you have available (that he hasn't already read). He takes work.
