Otherwise known as Possum

Name: Otherwise known as Possum
Author: Maria D. Laso
ISBN: 9780545927956

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Maria D. Laso

Reading Level 5-6 10LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th 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

After losing her mother, Possum starts attending school determined to show she already knows it all from her mom’s homeschooling. But her plan gets tricky when her teacher develops feelings for her dad, making Possum’s school life more complicated than she expected.

Themes

FamilyGriefSchoolsFathers and DaughtersJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include loss & grief, divorce & family change, romantic content. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Otherwise known as Possum 10LE

Otherwise known as Possum is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 890L across 228 pages (approximately 49,044 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Otherwise known as Possum works for readers up to grade 7.5.

Read aloud, Otherwise known as Possum runs about 5.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Otherwise known as Possum as 10LE ("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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Loss & Grief, Divorce & Family Change, Romantic Content.

Thematically, Otherwise known as Possum explores family, grief, schools, fathers and daughters, and juvenile fiction — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, grief, schools.