A fiery friendship
Lisa Fiedler
A fiery friendship
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lisa Fiedler
The text is written at a 8th 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 would you do if your mom was taken away for something you barely understand? Thirteen-year-old Glinda faces a world where magic is forbidden and danger lurks in every shadow. Can she outsmart the four Wicked Witches and save Oz before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy follows thirteen-year-old Glinda as she embarks on a daring quest to rescue her mother, who has been imprisoned for practicing forbidden magic. The story explores themes of good versus evil through the lens of magical witches, suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should note the presence of fantasy peril and complex moral themes but can expect an age-appropriate adventure.
Why we rated A fiery friendship 12ME
A fiery friendship is written at a Level 8 reading level across 418 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A fiery friendship works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate A fiery friendship as 12ME ("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, physical peril, 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, A fiery friendship explores fantasy world-building, adventure, good vs evil, and witches — 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 fantasy world-building, adventure, good vs evil.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781481469715
- Pages
- 418
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction