A Love Like Lilly
Kay Lynn Mangum
A Love Like Lilly
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kay Lynn Mangum
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Jamie stands at the edge of the forest, the summer sun beating down as her grandfather begins to tell a story about a secret love and a daring job during the Great Depression. The air buzzes with the sound of cicadas, but something in his voice hints this tale is more than just history—it's a mystery waiting to unfold.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set during the Great Depression, this middle-grade historical fiction follows fifteen-year-old Jamie as she spends a summer with her grandfather and uncovers the story of her grandparents' courtship and his time in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book offers an engaging look at American history with themes of family, resilience, and heritage. There are no intense content warnings, making it an appropriate read for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated A Love Like Lilly 12C
A Love Like Lilly is written at a Level 7 reading level across 342 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A Love Like Lilly works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate A Love Like Lilly as 12C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, A Love Like Lilly explores family, historical, coming of age, united states, and 20th century — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, historical, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781590385807
- Pages
- 342
- Publisher
- Shadow Mountain
- Published
- 2006-01-01
- Type
- Fiction