What reading level is Goodbye days?

Goodbye days by Jeff Zentner is at a Level 3-4 reading level (Lexile 620L). Recommended for Lower Grades readers (Ages 5-8).

What age is Goodbye days appropriate for?

Goodbye days is recommended for Ages 5-8. HootRating: 8IE (Intense — Emotional).

What genre is Goodbye days?

Goodbye days is fiction — Young Adult Fiction.

Does Goodbye days have any content warnings?

Goodbye days has a HootRating of 8IE (Intense — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Goodbye days?

Goodbye days by Jeff Zentner is 404 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

Goodbye days

Jeff Zentner

Goodbye days

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

a novel

by Jeff Zentner

Reading Level 3-4 8IE Ages 5-8 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

Buy on Amazon Listen on Audible Find on Bookshop.org

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

The soft buzz of a phone lights up Carver’s hand—one last message to friends who won’t answer. The world feels suddenly quiet, heavy with a secret no one can say out loud. What happens when you get a chance to say goodbye again?

Themes

GriefFriendshipGuiltComing of Age

Quick Assessment

Goodbye Days is a poignant story about a young boy coping with the loss of his best friends after a tragic accident. It explores themes of grief, guilt, and healing through meaningful relationships and therapeutic support. Recommended for children ages 8 and up, this book handles emotional topics with sensitivity appropriate for early readers ready to understand loss.

Why we rated Goodbye days 8IE

Goodbye days is written at a Level 3-4 reading level with a Lexile measure of 620L across 404 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Goodbye days works for readers up to grade 5.5.

We rate Goodbye days as 8IE ("Intense — 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, thematic difficulty — 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, Goodbye days explores grief, friendship, guilt, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about grief, friendship, guilt.

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.