What reading level is What girls are made of?

What girls are made of by Elana K. Arnold is at a Level 5-6 reading level (Lexile 900L). Recommended for Upper Grades readers (Ages 13+).

What genre is What girls are made of?

What girls are made of is fiction — Young Adult Fiction. Part of the Fiction - Young Adult (Carolrhoda Lab) series.

How many pages is What girls are made of?

What girls are made of by Elana K. Arnold is 200 pages (approximately 48,135 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

What girls are made of

Elana K. Arnold

What girls are made of

Q: What age is What girls are made of appropriate for?

What girls are made of is recommended for Ages 13+. HootRating: 10IE (Intense — Emotional). Content flags: Emotional: Loss & Grief, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery, Social: Substance Use, Social: Animal Abuse, Social: Death, Social: Abortion, Social: Alcohol Abuse.

Q: Does What girls are made of have any content warnings?

What girls are made of has a HootRating of 10IE (Intense — Emotional). Content flags include: Emotional: Loss & Grief, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery, Social: Substance Use, Social: Animal Abuse, Social: Death, Social: Abortion, Social: Alcohol Abuse. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Elana K. Arnold

Fiction - Young Adult (Carolrhoda Lab)

Reading Level 5-6 10IE Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.

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About This Book

Nina Faye wrestles with the meaning of love and self-worth after her first serious relationship ends, challenging everything her mother once told her about unconditional love. As she navigates heartbreak and identity, Nina confronts difficult truths about family, loyalty, and what it truly means to be a girl. Her journey is raw, honest, and deeply moving, capturing the complexities of growing up.

Challenged Book

About & Banning Context

Ages 14+

In this poignant narrative, sixteen-year-old Nina navigates the complexities of adolescence, grappling with her desire for genuine love amid the aftermath of a painful breakup. As she volunteers at a dog shelter, she reflects on her past and the experiences that have shaped her understanding of girlhood, which has been marred by violence and difficult choices. Nina's journey of self-discovery leads her to confront her own actions, including a troubling incident involving a classmate. Memories of a trip to Italy with her mother resurface, prompting her to explore the deeper meanings of love and acceptance. Through Nina's struggles, the story offers an unflinching look at the challenges faced by teenage girls today.

Key Themes

self-acceptance love regret violence identity

Awards & Accolades (1)

● A National Book Award Finalist

Source: Unite Against Book Bans — What girls are made of

Themes

Family Coming of Age Romance Social Justice

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with intense content intensity. Content themes include emotional: loss & grief, emotional: identity & self-discovery, social: substance use. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated What girls are made of 10IE

What girls are made of is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 900L across 200 pages (approximately 48,135 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.8 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, What girls are made of works for readers up to grade 7.8.

Read aloud, What girls are made of runs about 5.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate What girls are made of as 10IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Emotional: Loss & Grief, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery, Social: Substance Use, Social: Animal Abuse, Social: Death, Social: Abortion, Social: Alcohol Abuse.

Thematically, What girls are made of explores family, coming of age, romance, and social justice — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, coming of age, romance.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 2 more books in the Fiction - Young Adult (Carolrhoda Lab) series.

Maybe not for

! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
! Children younger than 13+ — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

10IE — Intense — Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Intense

Social

Intense

Thematic

Clear

Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.

Content Flags

Emotional: Loss & Grief Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery Social: Substance Use Social: Animal Abuse Social: Death Social: Abortion Social: Alcohol Abuse

Data confidence: high

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