Good-bye to the trees

Name: Good-bye to the trees
Author: Vicky Shiefman
ISBN: 0689318065

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Vicky Shiefman

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 4th 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Can a girl build a brand-new life in America when her heart is still across the ocean? Thirteen-year-old Fagel is surrounded by unfamiliar sights, sounds, and a language she is only beginning to understand. Every night, though, her thoughts drift back to the family she left behind in Russia, and she wonders whether she will ever stop missing them.

Themes

Multicultural Family Coming of Age Identity & Self-Discovery

Quick Assessment

Thirteen-year-old Fagel adjusts to a new life in America while grieving the relatives she had to leave in Russia. Young readers will encounter homesickness, uncertainty, and the emotional weight of emigration and separation from loved ones, handled with a gentle, hopeful tone. Jewish family and cultural experiences are woven throughout, making this a thoughtful choice for conversations about immigration and belonging.

Why we rated Good-bye to the trees ME (Moderate)

Good-bye to the trees is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 150 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Good-bye to the trees on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Good-bye to the trees as ME (Moderate, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Loss & Grief, Divorce & Family Change.

Thematically, Good-bye to the trees explores multicultural, family, coming of age, and identity & self-discovery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about multicultural, family, coming of age.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.