Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie

Name: Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie
Author: Robbin Gourley
ISBN: 9780618158362

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Story about Edna Lewis

by Robbin Gourley

Reading Level 5-6 C · Gentle Ages 5-8 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Edna Lewis wasn’t just any kid—she was a pioneer of delicious, natural food way before it was cool. Her love for fresh ingredients started right on her family farm, where every apple picked brought her closer to making the perfect pie. What she learned about food back then still inspires kitchens today.

Themes

FamilyFarm LifeHistorical Science & Nature

Quick Assessment

Follows young Edna Lewis from early spring through the growing season to a family dinner celebrating a successful harvest, showing farm work, seasonal food, and family togetherness in rhythmic, illustrated text. Content is gentle and suitable for young readers, with no notable conflict or intense scenes. The book also includes folk rhymes, songs, five kid-friendly recipes, and an author's note about Edna's later career as a chef.

Why we rated Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie C (Gentle)

Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 45 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie as C (Gentle) 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, Bring me some apples, and I'll make you a pie explores family, farm life, historical, and science & nature — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, farm life, historical.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

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

Data confidence: high

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