What reading level is Kiss the morning star?

Kiss the morning star by Elissa Janine Hoole is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 750L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Kiss the morning star appropriate for?

Kiss the morning star is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9IE (Intense — Emotional).

What genre is Kiss the morning star?

Kiss the morning star is fiction — Bildungsromans.

Does Kiss the morning star have any content warnings?

Kiss the morning star has a HootRating of 9IE (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 Kiss the morning star?

Kiss the morning star by Elissa Janine Hoole is 256 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Kiss the morning star

Elissa Janine Hoole

Kiss the morning star

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Elissa Janine Hoole

Reading Level 4-5 9IE Ages 9-12 Matched

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.

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About This Book

This story proves that a road trip can change everything, especially when two girls discover the power of love in all its forms. They face loss and faith head-on, showing that even the hardest journeys can lead to the brightest stars. What happens when the road teaches you who you really are?

Themes

GriefVoyages and travelsLoveLGBTQ+ RepresentationSelf-realizationComing of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows two teenage girls on a transformative road trip that explores themes of grief, faith, and self-discovery, including the experience of young lesbian love. It offers thoughtful insight into emotional growth suitable for ages 9-12, with sensitive handling of complex feelings and relationships. Parents should note the inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes and the exploration of loss and spirituality.

Why we rated Kiss the morning star 9IE

Kiss the morning star is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 750L across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Kiss the morning star works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Kiss the morning star as 9IE ("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, social complexity, 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, Kiss the morning star explores grief, voyages and travels, love, lgbtq+ representation, and self-realization — 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 grief, voyages and travels, love.

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.