Artichoke's Heart
Suzanne Supplee
Artichoke's Heart
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Suzanne Supplee
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Rosemary Goode's life is full of whispers and secrets shared in her mom's beauty shop, where everyone seems to talk about her weight. She's decided to take control and write down every step of her journey to change—but that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Artichoke's Heart follows Rosemary Goode, a teenage girl navigating self-esteem and personal growth while living in a close-knit Southern community. Through her journal entries, readers explore themes of body image, relationships, and self-reliance appropriate for ages 13-18. The story addresses social pressures realistically but gently, making it a thoughtful read for young adults.
Why we rated Artichoke's Heart 11ME
Artichoke's Heart is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Artichoke's Heart works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Artichoke's Heart as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — 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 mild intensity score.
Thematically, Artichoke's Heart explores love & romance, self-esteem & self-reliance, family, coming of age, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about love & romance, self-esteem & self-reliance, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9780525479024
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- June 12, 2008
- Type
- Fiction