Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Still a work in progress
Johanna Knowles
Still a work in progress
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Johanna Knowles
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), 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 soft, cool feel of clay slips through Noah’s fingers as he shapes his worries into something he can control. School is loud and confusing, and his friends don’t always make sense. But at home, something feels even harder to understand — his sister Emma’s strange new rules and quiet struggles.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Seventh grader Noah tries to keep up with school and friends while his older sister Emma struggles with an eating disorder that his family hasn't openly discussed. The story is realistic and emotionally direct, with moments of humor, and it portrays the strain of watching a sibling's health decline and feeling powerless to help. Parents may want to be ready to talk about disordered eating, family secrecy, and getting help, since these themes are handled with weight rather than graphic detail.
Why we rated Still a work in progress ME (Moderate)
Still a work in progress is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 311 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate Still a work in progress 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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Eating Disorder.
Thematically, Still a work in progress explores family, coming of age, health & daily living, and sibling relationships — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 family, coming of age, health & daily living.
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 · EmotionalReading 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.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780763672171
- Pages
- 311
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction