A Friendship For Today
Pat McKissack
A Friendship For Today
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Pat McKissack
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The chatter of a busy school hallway fills the air, mixed with the faint scent of chalk and new books. Rosemary steps into a world that's shifting all around her—new faces, new rules, and a family that feels different every day. Change can be scary, but it also holds the promise of something new and hopeful.
Quick Assessment
Set in 1954 Missouri during school desegregation, this middle-grade novel follows ten-year-old Rosemary as she navigates challenges at school and at home amid her parents' separation. Suitable for ages 9-12, it thoughtfully addresses themes of family change, racial integration, and personal growth with sensitivity and historical context.
Why we rated A Friendship For Today 9ME
A Friendship For Today is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 172 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A Friendship For Today works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate A Friendship For Today as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, A Friendship For Today explores family, coming of age, multicultural, historical, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, coming of age, multicultural.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780545065634
- Pages
- 172
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Published
- 2008
- Type
- Fiction