Lifted
Wendy Toliver
Lifted
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Wendy Toliver
The text is written at a 7th 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
What would you do if you found something stolen — and had to decide between right and wrong? Imagine sneaking through shadows, hearts pounding, as secrets swirl around a single-parent family and a new friendship. But can you keep the truth hidden when everything feels lifted?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Lifted by Wendy Toliver is a middle-grade novel exploring themes of friendship, family dynamics, and theft through the eyes of a young protagonist. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it offers thoughtful insights into moral choices within a single-parent family context. The story handles its themes with care and is suitable for readers ready for moderate emotional and social challenges.
Why we rated Lifted 12ME
Lifted is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Lifted works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Lifted as 12ME ("Moderate — 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 — 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, Lifted explores friendship, family, theft, and single-parent families — 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, theft.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781439157473
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction