Tarra and Bella

Carol Buckley

Cover of Tarra and Bella

Tarra and Bella

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends

by Carol Buckley

Reading Level 6-7 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 if the best friendship you ever had was with someone completely different from you? Imagine an enormous elephant named Tarra who lives all alone until a scrappy stray dog named Bella wanders into her life. Their bond is so strong, it changes everything—especially when Bella gets hurt and Tarra refuses to leave her side.

Themes

FriendshipAnimal BehaviorCompanionshipResilienceNature

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction book tells the heartwarming story of Tarra, an Asiatic elephant living at a sanctuary in Tennessee, and Bella, a stray mixed-breed dog. It explores themes of unlikely friendships and animal social behavior, enhanced by vivid color photographs. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book provides a gentle, inspiring look at companionship and resilience, with educational notes about the Elephant Sanctuary.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

32 pages
ISBN
9780399254437
Pages
32
Publisher
National Geographic Books
Published
2010
Type
Fiction
Lexile
990L

Genres

Subjects

Asiatic ElephantUnited StatesDogsSocial Behavior in AnimalsElephant SanctuaryAnimalsElephantsHabits and Behavior