Best friends tell the best lies
Carol Dines
Best friends tell the best lies
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carol Dines
The text is written at a 6th 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
What happens when you have to choose between loyalty and your own heart? Leah's best friend Tamara is going through tough times, and Leah wants to be there for her no matter what. But when her mom is about to remarry and a new boy enters the picture, secrets and feelings start to bubble up—who can she really trust?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of friendship, emotional challenges, and cultural identity as Leah navigates her loyalty to a troubled friend alongside her feelings about her mother’s remarriage and a new connection with a Mexican American boy. The story thoughtfully addresses family dynamics and the complexities of adolescence, making it suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware of emotional themes related to mental health and cultural identity.
Why we rated Best friends tell the best lies 11ME
Best friends tell the best lies is written at a Level 6 reading level across 213 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Best friends tell the best lies works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Best friends tell the best lies as 11ME ("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 — 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, Best friends tell the best lies explores friendship, emotional problems, prejudices, mothers and daughters, and multicultural — 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 friendship, emotional problems, prejudices.
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
11ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0385297041
- Pages
- 213
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- 1989
- Type
- Fiction