What reading level is Tarra and Bella?

Tarra and Bella by Carol Buckley is at a Level 6-7 reading level (Lexile 990L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Tarra and Bella appropriate for?

Tarra and Bella is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 11LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is Tarra and Bella?

Tarra and Bella is fiction — Juvenile Nonfiction.

Does Tarra and Bella have any content warnings?

Tarra and Bella has a HootRating of 11LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Tarra and Bella?

Tarra and Bella by Carol Buckley is 32 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated June 9, 2026

Tarra and Bella

Carol Buckley

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.

Why we rated Tarra and Bella 11LE

Tarra and Bella is written at a Level 6-7 reading level with a Lexile measure of 990L across 32 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tarra and Bella works for readers up to grade 8.5.

We rate Tarra and Bella as 11LE ("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.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, Tarra and Bella explores friendship, animal behavior, companionship, resilience, and nature — 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 friendship, animal behavior, companionship.

Maybe not for

! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.