Amazing Gracie
A. E. Cannon
Amazing Gracie
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by A. E. Cannon
The text is written at a 6th 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 if your whole world changed in just one year? Imagine your mom remarries, you get a new brother, and you have to leave everything behind to move to a new city. How would you handle all the surprises, especially when your mom is struggling with something as tough as depression?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the challenges faced by a high school sophomore navigating family changes, including her mother's battle with depression, remarriage, and a move to Salt Lake City. It thoughtfully addresses mental health and family dynamics appropriate for ages 9-12, with sensitive treatment of complex emotional topics. Parents should be aware of themes involving depression and family adjustment.
Why we rated Amazing Gracie 11MN
Amazing Gracie is written at a Level 6 reading level across 214 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Amazing Gracie works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Amazing Gracie as 11MN ("Moderate — Neutral") 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Depression, Moving, Remarriage, Family Change.
Thematically, Amazing Gracie explores mothers and daughters, remarriage, depression, mental health, and moving — 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 mothers and daughters, remarriage, depression.
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
11MN — Moderate — NeutralReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
- 0385304870
- Pages
- 214
- Publisher
- Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1991
- Type
- Fiction