A Good Courage
Alex Hill
A Good Courage
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Alex Hill
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What happens when a place meant to feel like home feels all wrong? Fourteen-year-old Ty moves with his mom from one commune to another, each promising belonging but delivering something different. Can Ty find courage in a world that feels so uncertain?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows fourteen-year-old Ty as he navigates life moving between communes with his mother, who seeks a place to belong. The story explores themes of belonging, family dynamics, and adolescent identity, suitable for readers aged 13 to 18. Parents should note the depiction of challenging social situations and emotional struggles typical of this age group.
Why we rated A Good Courage 11ME
A Good Courage is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A Good Courage works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate A Good Courage as 11ME ("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 — 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 Good Courage explores family, coming of age, social situations, and identity & self-discovery — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, coming of age, social situations.
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
11ME — 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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780688161248
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Harper Trophy
- Published
- October 1998
- Type
- Fiction