How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend
Janette Rallison
How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Janette Rallison
The text is written at a 6th 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
What if breaking up with your boyfriend was the start of a bigger problem? Giovanna ends things with Jesse because he won’t help her twin brother’s school campaign, but now she has to figure out how to make things right. Can she fix her mistake before it’s too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Giovanna as she navigates the complexities of friendship, family loyalty, and young romance after a breakup at school. Suitable for ages 9-12, it explores themes of popularity, elections, and sibling relationships in a lighthearted and age-appropriate way, with no concerning content.
Why we rated How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend 11LE
How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend is written at a Level 6 reading level across 265 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend as 11LE ("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, How to take the ex out of ex-boyfriend explores friendship, family, romance, school life, and social customs — 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, romance.
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
11LE — 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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780399246173
- Pages
- 265
- Publisher
- Putnam Juvenile
- Published
- 2007
- Type
- Fiction