Peas and carrots
Tanita S. Davis
Peas and carrots
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tanita S. Davis
The text is written at a 6th 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
What happens when your whole world flips upside down? Dess has to leave her home and live with a foster family she barely knows, where her new foster sister Hope feels more like a rival than a friend. Can they find a way to trust each other before their pasts pull them apart?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of family change and foster care through the story of Dess, a fifteen-year-old girl navigating life after her mother’s arrest. It portrays the challenges and eventual bonding between Dess and her foster sister, Hope, making it suitable for readers ages 9-12. The book sensitively addresses issues around family disruption and sibling relationships without graphic content.
Why we rated Peas and carrots 11ME
Peas and carrots is written at a Level 6 reading level across 279 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Peas and carrots works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Peas and carrots as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — 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 mild intensity score.
Thematically, Peas and carrots explores family, foster care, brothers and sisters, coming of age, and schools — 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 family, foster care, brothers and sisters.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780553512816
- Pages
- 279
- Publisher
- Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction