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An angel just like me

Mary Hoffman

Cover of An angel just like me

An angel just like me

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Mary Hoffman

Reading Level 2-3 7C Ages 5-8 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

While decorating the Christmas tree, Tyler notices that all the angel ornaments look the same and wonders why there aren’t any that look like him. His search for a black angel leads to a special surprise that shows everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in holiday traditions. This heartwarming tale gently explores questions about race and identity during the festive season.

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 2-3 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 5-8.

Why we rated An angel just like me 7C

An angel just like me is written at a Level 2-3 reading level across 32 pages (approximately 872 words). Strong independent readers around grade 3.9 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, An angel just like me works for readers up to grade 4.9.

Read aloud, An angel just like me takes about 6 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate An angel just like me as 7C ("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, An angel just like me explores multicultural, family, christmas, and identity & self-discovery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

  • Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
  • Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
  • Kids drawn to stories about multicultural, family, christmas.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

7C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

5/10

Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
2
Emotional Weight
2
Narrative Pace
9
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
8

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Details

Book Length

32 pages
872 words
6m read-aloud
ISBN
0803722656
Pages
32
Publisher
Dial Books
Published
1997
Type
Fiction
Word Count
872
Read-Aloud
~6 min
Text Density
Picture-Heavy

Genres

Subjects

African AmericansChristmasAngels