The friendship riddle

Name: The friendship riddle
Author: Megan Frazer Blakemore
ISBN: 9781619636309

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What happens when your best friend suddenly becomes a stranger? Ruth used to be inseparable from her best friend, but now she's alone, buried in spelling bee words. Then, a mysterious riddle tucked inside an old book promises a new adventure — but can it bring friendship back?

Themes

FriendshipSchoolPuzzle SolvingComing of Age

Quick Assessment

When her former best friend leaves her behind for a more popular crowd, sixth-grader Ruth retreats into books and spelling bee practice until she finds a riddle in an old book that she can't solve alone. The story explores loneliness, friendship loss, and the courage it takes to trust others again, with light, age-appropriate tension. It is a gentle choice for readers who are navigating the ups and downs of middle school friendships.

Why we rated The friendship riddle LE (Mild)

The friendship riddle is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 359 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage The friendship riddle on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The friendship riddle as LE (Mild, mostly 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, The friendship riddle explores friendship, school, puzzle solving, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, school, puzzle solving.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading 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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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