Abstrak
This studydiscussed on analyzing the text complexity in narrative texts of the eight grade Junior High School student textbooks. The purpose of this study was to describe the text complexity gradient in narrative texts of the eighth grade Junior High School student textbooks.This study used a qualitative research as the research designand the researcher analyzed 14 narrative texts from on 6 student textbooks for the eighth grade of Junior High School as the data sources. The data were gathered by reading, identifying, describing, coding, and analyzing the narrative texts and analyzed by using literary rubric as a guide to determine the text complexity.The result of the study indicatedthat 14 narrative texts in the 6 student textbooks had the same gradient that was slightly complex gradient but the percentagewas different. They were 2 narrative texts was 60%in purpose (level of meaning, purpose), text structure (organization), language features(conventionality, vocabulary), and knowledge demands(lifeexperiences, intertextuality and cultural knowledge)categories, 7 narrative texts was 70%in purpose (level of meaning, purpose), text structure (organization,use of graphics), language features (conventionality, vocabulary), and knowledge demands (lifeexperiences, intertextuality and cultural knowledge)categories, 4 narrative texts was 80%in purpose (level of meaning, purpose, theme), text structure (organization, use of graphics), language features (conventionality, vocabulary), and knowledge demands (lifeexperiences, intertextuality and cultural knowledge)categories, and 1 narrative text was 90%in purpose (level of meaning, purpose, theme), text structure (organization, use of graphics), language features (conventionality, vocabulary), and knowledge demands (lifeexperiences, intertextuality and cultural knowledge)categories.The researcher concludes that the narrative texts in student textbook “English in Focus” published by Pusat Perbukuanwasconsidered more slightly complex in terms of their percentage.

KEY WORDS: Text complexity,Narrativetext, Student textbook.