What reading level is What I Call Life?

What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson is at a Level 6 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is What I Call Life appropriate for?

What I Call Life is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 11ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is What I Call Life?

What I Call Life is fiction — Juvenile Nonfiction.

Does What I Call Life have any content warnings?

What I Call Life has a HootRating of 11ME (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 What I Call Life?

What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson is 288 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

What I Call Life

Jill Wolfson

What I Call Life

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jill Wolfson

Reading Level 6 11ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

A Junior Library Guild selection

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

The soft click of knitting needles fills the cozy room, wrapping around Cal like a warm blanket. Each story shared by the Knitting Lady and her foster daughters weaves a tapestry of hope and courage. Cal is learning that family can be found in the most unexpected places, but the journey is just beginning.

Themes

FamilyOrphans & Foster CareFriendship Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows eleven-year-old Cal Lavender as she adjusts to life in a group foster home. Through the support of the other girls and their caring guardian, Cal navigates the challenges of belonging and identity. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book sensitively addresses themes of family, loss, and resilience without heavy content.

Why we rated What I Call Life 11ME

What I Call Life is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, What I Call Life works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate What I Call Life as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — 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 mild intensity score.

Thematically, What I Call Life explores family, orphans & foster care, friendship, 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, orphans & foster care, friendship.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — What I Call Life carries an award.