Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender
Lisa Greenwald
Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lisa Greenwald
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Mia’s summer kicks off with a breakup that feels like a storm, but what if a food truck and a clever plan could turn heartache into the coolest adventure? When her best friend teams up with her to mix up the perfect revenge recipe — involving kale, snow cones, and a fake online persona — things get wild, funny, and totally unforgettable. Sometimes, the best way to heal a broken heart is with a little creativity and a lot of laughs.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Mia as she navigates a tough breakup during her summer vacation, balancing humor and heartfelt moments. Together with her best friend, she embarks on a creative scheme involving a food truck and an online persona to cope with her feelings and gain independence. The story is age-appropriate for 9-12-year-olds, touching on themes of friendship, dating, and self-discovery with light emotional content and no explicit material.
Why we rated Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender 11LE
Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender is written at a Level 6 reading level across 274 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender explores friendship, coming of age, romance, humor, 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, coming of age, romance.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780399556388
- Pages
- 274
- Publisher
- Random House Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction