Trying hard to hear you
Sandra Scoppettone
Trying hard to hear you
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sandra Scoppettone
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if your best friend told you a secret that changed everything? Imagine trying to understand new feelings and the reactions of everyone around you. How do you stay true to friendship when the world seems divided?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the challenges a sixteen-year-old girl faces when her best friend comes out as homosexual. It sensitively addresses themes of friendship, prejudice, and self-discovery appropriate for ages 9-12, providing a thoughtful look at acceptance and personal growth. Parents should be aware that the book deals with social attitudes towards homosexuality and the emotional complexities that come with it.
Why we rated Trying hard to hear you 11ME
Trying hard to hear you is written at a Level 6 reading level across 264 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Trying hard to hear you works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Trying hard to hear you as 11ME ("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 — 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, Trying hard to hear you explores friendship, coming of age, prejudice, and lgbtq+ representation — 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, coming of age, prejudice.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 1555833675
- Pages
- 264
- Publisher
- Alyson Books
- Published
- 1996
- Type
- Fiction