Lola and the boy next door
Stephanie Perkins
Lola and the boy next door
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Stephanie Perkins
The text is written at a 7th 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
Lola Nolan isn’t just any girl—she’s a fearless costume designer with a heart full of dreams and a secret crush that’s harder to hide than her wildest outfit! When Cricket, the brilliant inventor next door, steps into her world, everything changes in ways Lola never imagined. But can she find the courage to face her feelings and the shadows that come with them?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Lola Nolan, a creative and determined young costume designer, as she navigates her feelings for Cricket, her inventive neighbor who is often overlooked in favor of his twin sister. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of friendship, identity, and self-confidence through relatable characters and gentle emotional challenges. There is no intense content, making it a thoughtful yet light read for middle-grade audiences.
Why we rated Lola and the boy next door 12LE
Lola and the boy next door is written at a Level 7 reading level across 338 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Lola and the boy next door works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Lola and the boy next door as 12LE ("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, Lola and the boy next door explores neighbors, friendship, coming of age, juvenile fiction, and ice skating — 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 neighbors, friendship, coming of age.
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
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780525423287
- Pages
- 338
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction