What reading level is This Is What I Did:?

This Is What I Did: by Ann Dee Ellis is at a Level 3 reading level (Lexile 550L). Recommended for Upper Grades readers (Ages 13+).

What age is This Is What I Did: appropriate for?

This Is What I Did: is recommended for Ages 13+. HootRating: 8ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is This Is What I Did:?

This Is What I Did: is fiction.

Does This Is What I Did: have any content warnings?

This Is What I Did: has a HootRating of 8ME (Moderate — 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 This Is What I Did:?

This Is What I Did: by Ann Dee Ellis is 176 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

This Is What I Did:

Ann Dee Ellis

This Is What I Did:

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Ann Dee Ellis

Reading Level 3 8ME Ages 13+ Heads Up

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.

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About This Book

Logan is no hero—he's just a kid caught in something way bigger than himself. He saw something terrible happen to his friend and didn’t know what to do. Now, everything he thought about friendship and courage is turned upside down, and the truth might be harder than he ever imagined.

Themes

BullyingFriendship Coming of AgePsychological DramaMoral Complexity

Quick Assessment

This novel explores the complex themes of bullying, friendship, and moral courage through the eyes of Logan, a thoughtful but awkward teenager. It is suitable for teens aged 13-18 and deals with psychological drama and social issues realistically but sensitively. Parents should note the story includes emotional challenges and situations involving peer conflict and personal responsibility.

Why we rated This Is What I Did: 8ME

This Is What I Did: is written at a Level 3 reading level with a Lexile measure of 550L across 176 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, This Is What I Did: works for readers up to grade 5.0.

We rate This Is What I Did: as 8ME ("Moderate — 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

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

Thematically, This Is What I Did: explores bullying, friendship, coming of age, psychological drama, and moral complexity — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about bullying, friendship, coming of age.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.