Friends
Montgomery A. Thompson
Friends
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Montgomery A. Thompson
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Montgomery is standing in the schoolyard, eyes scanning for someone to play with. He wonders, can a simple ‘hello’ turn into a real friendship? Suddenly, a shout from across the playground changes everything—who will answer?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This book, written by a young child, offers a heartfelt exploration of friendship and social skills for children ages 9 to 12. It emphasizes the importance of kindness, communication, listening, and respect in forming healthy friendships. The content is gentle and appropriate for middle-grade readers, with a positive message about interpersonal relationships.
Why we rated Friends 9LE
Friends 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, Friends works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Friends as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Friends explores friendship, family, coming of age, interpersonal relations, and children's fiction — 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, family, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781734077995
- Pages
- 160
- Publisher
- Young & Poppin (Y.A.P.) Publishing L.L.C
- Published
- 2022
- Type
- Fiction