Jo makes a friend

Name: Jo makes a friend
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
ISBN: 0385325819

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Coming of Age Stories by Irish and Irish American Writers

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Portraits of Little Women

Reading Level 3-4 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Jo is asked to reach out to a lonely girl who cannot see, hoping to brighten her days and build a meaningful friendship. As they spend time together, Jo discovers new ways to connect and understand the world around her. Their bond shows how kindness and empathy can bridge differences and create lasting companionship.

Themes

Friendship Family Disability Representation Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with gentle content intensity. Content themes include disability representation. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Jo makes a friend C (Gentle)

Jo makes a friend is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 99 pages (approximately 13,675 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Jo makes a friend on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Jo makes a friend runs about 1.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Jo makes a friend as C (Gentle) 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Disability Representation.

Thematically, Jo makes a friend explores friendship, family, disability representation, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, disability representation.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 11 more books in the Portraits of Little Women series.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.