Saying goodbye

Saying goodbye is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 219 pages (approximately 49,122 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.9 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Saying goodbye works for readers up to grade 6.9.

Read aloud, Saying goodbye runs about 5.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Saying goodbye as 9LE ("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: Identity & Self-Discovery, Prejudices.

Thematically, Saying goodbye explores friendship, coming of age, multicultural, family, and universities and colleges — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.