Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE)
Sally Nicholls
Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sally Nicholls
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 would you do if you knew your time was limited? Sam is just eleven, full of questions about the world, from UFOs to ghosts, and even what it feels like to kiss a girl. But there's one big mystery he’s trying to solve—what happens when life ends?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Sam, an eleven-year-old boy living with leukemia, as he explores life, death, and everything in between. It thoughtfully addresses themes of illness, grief, and self-discovery with humor and honesty, making it suitable for readers aged 9 to 12 who are ready for sensitive topics. Parents should note that the book deals with mortality and bereavement in a heartfelt but accessible manner.
Why we rated Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE) 11IE
Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE) is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE) works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE) as 11IE ("Intense — 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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Death, Grief, Illness.
Thematically, Ways to Live Forever (2019 NE) explores coming of age, family, friendship, health & daily living, and death & bereavement — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781407197944
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Published
- 2019
- Type
- Fiction