What reading level is What I lost?

What I lost by Alexandra Ballard is at a Level 3 reading level (Lexile 590L). Recommended for Lower Grades readers (Ages 5-8).

What age is What I lost appropriate for?

What I lost is recommended for Ages 5-8. HootRating: 8IE (Intense — Emotional). Content flags: Mental Health.

What genre is What I lost?

What I lost is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does What I lost have any content warnings?

What I lost has a HootRating of 8IE (Intense — Emotional). Content flags include: Mental Health. 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 lost?

What I lost by Alexandra Ballard is 390 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

What I lost

Alexandra Ballard

What I lost

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Alexandra Ballard

Reading Level 3 8IE Ages 5-8 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

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About This Book

What if you had to live somewhere new because things got really hard at home? Imagine meeting friends who are facing struggles bigger than you ever imagined. How will Elizabeth find her way when every day feels like a challenge?

Themes

Mental HealthFriendship Coming of AgePsychiatric CareSelf-Discovery

Quick Assessment

This book follows sixteen-year-old Elizabeth as she navigates life in a residential psychiatric treatment center for anorexia. It explores themes of mental health, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships among teens in a sensitive and age-appropriate way. Recommended for older children and young teens, it provides insight into the emotional complexities faced by those with eating disorders and the importance of support.

Why we rated What I lost 8IE

What I lost is written at a Level 3 reading level with a Lexile measure of 590L across 390 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, What I lost works for readers up to grade 5.0.

We rate What I lost as 8IE ("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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mental Health.

Thematically, What I lost explores mental health, friendship, coming of age, psychiatric care, and self-discovery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about mental health, 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.