A Father's Promise

Name: A Father's Promise
Author: Donna L. Hess
ISBN: 0890843791

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Donna L. Hess

Reading Level 5-6 IE · Intense · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Eleven-year-old Rudi’s world turns upside down when the Nazis invade Warsaw, forcing him to hide and face dangers because of his Polish and Jewish heritage. With only his father's promise to hold onto, Rudi discovers courage, faith, and resilience as he navigates the hardships of war. His journey teaches him the power of hope and trust in something greater than fear.

Themes

HistoricalWorld War IIFamilyFaithSurvival Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with intense content intensity. Content themes include war & conflict, fear & anxiety, loss & grief. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated A Father's Promise IE (Intense)

A Father's Promise is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 250 pages (approximately 58,969 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage A Father's Promise on their own.

Read aloud, A Father's Promise runs about 6.6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate A Father's Promise as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: War & Conflict, Fear & Anxiety, Loss & Grief, Religious Themes, Physical Danger.

Thematically, A Father's Promise explores historical, world war ii, family, faith, and survival — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, world war ii, family.

Maybe not for

! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
! Children younger than 9 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

IE · Intense · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Intense

Social

Intense

Thematic

Gentle

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

Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.