Emily in love
Susan Goldman Rubin
Emily in love
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Susan Goldman Rubin
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if your biggest wish was to be liked just as you are? Emily Gold is starting a new school where she really hopes to make a special friend—maybe even a boyfriend. But when she spots Hunt in the schoolyard, will he see past her differences and like her back?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Emily, a developmentally disabled girl navigating her first day at a mainstream school and the hopes and challenges of young love. It sensitively explores themes of friendship, acceptance, and inclusion, making it appropriate for readers aged 9-12. Parents should note it portrays mental disability in a positive and thoughtful way.
Why we rated Emily in love 9LE
Emily in love is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 160 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Emily in love works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Emily in love as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Emily in love explores people with mental disabilities, people with disabilities, high schools, schools, and friendship — 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 people with mental disabilities, people with disabilities, high schools.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — 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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0152009612
- Pages
- 160
- Publisher
- Harcourt Brace
- Published
- 1997
- Type
- Fiction