My Life As a Diamond

Name: My Life As a Diamond
Author: Jenny Manzer
ISBN: 9781459818323

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jenny Manzer

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The crack of the bat, the sharp scent of fresh-cut grass, and the thrill of the game fill the air. Caz’s fastball is unstoppable, and the baseball field feels like home — but there’s a secret he’s holding close, one that could change everything with just one pitch. How will his new team react when the truth comes out?

Challenged Book

About & Banning Context

Ages 9–12

In this engaging story, ten-year-old Caspar "Caz" Cadman navigates the challenges of being true to himself while pursuing his passion for baseball. After relocating from Toronto to a Seattle suburb, Caz eagerly joins the local summer team, the Redburn Ravens. Despite his excitement about making the team, he harbors a significant secret about his past life before he transitioned to living as a boy. As he forms new friendships, Caz is determined to share his truth on his own terms. However, when a rival player begins to uncover his history, Caz fears facing rejection and betrayal again. The narrative explores themes of identity, acceptance, and the courage it takes to be oneself in the face of adversity.

Key Themes

identity acceptance friendship courage betrayal

Awards & Accolades (8)

● Children’s Book Council & National Council for Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People | 2019 | Commended (2019)
● Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Diamond Willow | 2019 | Nominated (2019)
● Chocolate Lily Book Awards - Novels | 2019 | Short-listed (2019)
● Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year | 2018 | Commended (2018)
● CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection | 2019 | Commended (2019)
● City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize | 2019 | Short-listed (2019)
● Forest of Reading Silver Birch Fiction Award | 2020 | Nominated (2020)
● TD Summer Reading Club

Reviewed By

Booklist

Source: Unite Against Book Bans — My Life As a Diamond

Themes

Sports Friendship Identity & Self-Discovery Coming of Age Family

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows ten-year-old Caspar 'Caz' Cadman, a talented baseball player navigating a big move and the challenges of living authentically as a transgender boy. The story explores themes of identity, friendship, and courage in the face of adversity, making it suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should be aware the book sensitively addresses gender identity and the social dynamics around acceptance.

Why we rated My Life As a Diamond ME (Moderate)

My Life As a Diamond is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 135 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage My Life As a Diamond on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate My Life As a Diamond as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, My Life As a Diamond explores sports, friendship, identity & self-discovery, coming of age, and family — 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 ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about sports, friendship, identity & self-discovery.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Mild

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?