A place to hide
Robert Westall
A place to hide
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Robert Westall
The text is written at a 4th 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
She’s not just searching for her dad—she’s uncovering secrets that could change everything. When danger lurks in every shadow, her courage becomes the key to truth. This isn’t just a story about missing people; it’s about standing up when it matters most.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This gripping middle-grade novel follows a young girl’s determined search for her missing father amidst a backdrop of espionage and political intrigue in England. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of family bonds, identity, and standing against corruption, with moderate suspense but no graphic content. Parents should note the presence of political themes and mild peril.
Why we rated A place to hide 9ME
A place to hide is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 199 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A place to hide works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate A place to hide as 9ME ("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, social complexity, 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 place to hide explores fathers and daughters, identity, whistle blowing, political corruption, and adventure — 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 fathers and daughters, identity, whistle blowing.
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
9ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 059047748X
- Pages
- 199
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Published
- 1994
- Type
- Fiction