Call me Hope
Gretchen Olson
Call me Hope
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
a novel
by Gretchen Olson
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 would you do if the person who was supposed to love you the most made you feel small every day? Eleven-year-old Hope lives in Oregon and faces harsh words from her own mother. But when she discovers a courage-filled diary, she starts to find a way to stand strong—what will happen when she finally speaks up?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the difficult subject of verbal abuse through the eyes of eleven-year-old Hope, who learns to cope by drawing strength from Anne Frank's diary. Set in Oregon, the story sensitively portrays the impact of stress and family conflict while highlighting themes of resilience and support. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the book provides a thoughtful look at child abuse without graphic content.
Why we rated Call me Hope 11ME
Call me Hope is written at a Level 6 reading level across 272 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Call me Hope works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Call me Hope 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, Call me Hope explores child abuse, mothers and daughters, stress, family, and resilience — 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 child abuse, mothers and daughters, stress.
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
- 9780316012362
- Pages
- 272
- Publisher
- Little Brown & Company
- Published
- 2007
- Type
- Fiction