HootRated mascot HootRated

Who Was...?/Who Is...? Books in Order

9 books by Janet B. Pascal. Reading level: Grades 5.1–6.1. Middle Grades (Ages 9–12).

Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Who Was...?/Who Is...? (9 books by Janet B. Pascal) lands at reading level Grades 5.1–6.1, with average content intensity 1.3/5.

The reading-order table below lists every book with per-volume reading level and intensity badges so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.

9
Books
Grades 5.1–6.1
Reading Level
1.3/5
Avg. Intensity
MG
Middle Grades

Content Intensity Across the Series

Varies

Content intensity ranges from Gentle to Moderate across the series.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
First book Latest book

Who Was...?/Who Is...? Reading Order

# Title Reading Level Content
1 Who Is Barack Obama?
Unknown
Level 5-6 Gentle
2 Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Janet B. Pascal
Level 5-6 Moderate
3 Who was Dr. Seuss?
Janet B. Pascal
Level 5-6 Gentle
4 Who Was Frederick Douglass?
Unknown
Level 5-6 Mild
5 Who Was Isaac Newton?
Janet B. Pascal
Level 5-6 Gentle
6 Who Was Jacqueline Kennedy?
Bonnie Bader, Who HQ
Level 5-6 Gentle
7 Who was Mark Twain?
April Jones Prince
Level 6-7 Gentle
8 Who Was Maurice Sendak
Janet B. Pascal, Who HQ
Level 5-6 Gentle
9 Who was Thomas Jefferson?
Dennis B. Fradin
Level 5-6 Gentle

Questions about the Who Was...?/Who Is...? series

What reading level is the Who Was...?/Who Is...? series?
The Who Was...?/Who Is...? series by Janet B. Pascal is at a Grades 5.1–6.1 reading level (average Grade 5.5). Intended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). There are 9 books in the series.
What order should I read the Who Was...?/Who Is...? books?
The reading-order table above lists all 9 books with per-volume reading level and intensity ratings. Start with book 1 and read in publication order unless the table indicates a different recommended order for newer readers.
What age is the Who Was...?/Who Is...? series appropriate for?
The Who Was...?/Who Is...? series is recommended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). The average content intensity is 1.3/5. Check the intensity trajectory above to see whether content gets heavier across the series — if it does, sensitive readers may want to stop earlier in the run.