What reading level is With a name like Love?

With a name like Love by Tess Hilmo is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 710L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is With a name like Love appropriate for?

With a name like Love is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is With a name like Love?

With a name like Love is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does With a name like Love have any content warnings?

With a name like Love has a HootRating of 9ME (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 With a name like Love?

With a name like Love by Tess Hilmo is 249 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

With a name like Love

Tess Hilmo

With a name like Love

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tess Hilmo

Reading Level 4-5 9ME Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 4th 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 the smallest town held the biggest secrets? Ollie’s dad drives their trailer into Binder for a revival, but Ollie’s not expecting much—until she meets Jimmy, whose mom is behind bars for a crime she swears she didn’t commit. Can two kids change a town that’s already made up its mind?

Themes

Mystery FriendshipChristian LifeSmall Town LifeFamily

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Ollie and her father, a traveling preacher, as they arrive in a small town where Ollie befriends Jimmy, a boy whose mother is imprisoned for a murder she insists she didn't commit. The story explores themes of friendship, faith, and justice in a community quick to judge. Suitable for ages 9-12, it presents moderate emotional themes around family and trust, with a gentle introduction to mystery and moral questioning.

Why we rated With a name like Love 9ME

With a name like Love is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 710L across 249 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, With a name like Love works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate With a name like Love as 9ME ("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, thematic difficulty — 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, With a name like Love explores mystery, friendship, christian life, small town life, and family — 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 mystery, friendship, christian life.

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.