A good house
Bonnie Burnard
A good house
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Bonnie Burnard
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: a family’s house holds more stories than anyone can imagine. Through years of laughter, tears, and change, their lives unfold in ways you won’t expect. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
A Good House follows an Ontario family across five decades, exploring their everyday struggles and joys with gentle, heartfelt storytelling. Set against the backdrop of 20th-century Canada and World War II, this novel offers a thoughtful look at family dynamics suitable for middle-grade readers. Parents should note the historical context and emotional depth, which provide meaningful discussion opportunities.
Why we rated A good house 11LE
A good house is written at a Level 6 reading level across 297 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A good house works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate A good house as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, A good house explores family, historical, coming of age, and world war ii — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, historical, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 0385601689
- Pages
- 297
- Publisher
- Doubleday
- Published
- 2000
- Type
- Fiction