You and me and him

Name: You and me and him
Author: Kris Dinnison
ISBN: 9780544301122

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Kris Dinnison

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The soft rustle of autumn leaves fills the air as Maggie steps into her new school year, heart pounding with hope and confusion. Her best friend Nash, who’s brave and open about who he is, shares a secret crush that turns everything upside down. Can Maggie find a way to keep friendship and love from pulling them apart?

Themes

LGBTQ+ Representation Friendship Coming of Age FamilySchool

Quick Assessment

Maggie and her openly gay best friend Nash both develop feelings for the same new classmate, Tom, and their friendship is tested during their junior year of high school. The story handles crushes and romance with light, age-typical content, and explores self-image, since Maggie feels self-conscious about her weight, along with the emotional strain of a friendship under pressure. Its tone is warm and witty, with an emphasis on forgiveness and loyalty.

Why we rated You and me and him LE (Mild)

You and me and him is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 275 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate You and me and him as LE (Mild, mostly 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, You and me and him explores lgbtq+ representation, friendship, coming of age, family, and school — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about lgbtq+ representation, friendship, coming of age.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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