Are you being racially profiled?
Alexandra Hanson-Harding
Are you being racially profiled?
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Alexandra Hanson-Harding
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
The sharp sound of a police siren cuts through the quiet street, making your heart race. You wonder—why are you being stopped? When people are treated unfairly because of their skin color, it leaves a painful mark that’s hard to forget.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This thoughtful middle-grade fiction explores the difficult topic of racial profiling in law enforcement through the eyes of young characters who experience it firsthand. It includes interviews with teens and expert advice, making it a valuable resource for helping children understand and discuss issues of race and discrimination. Suitable for ages 9-12, it handles sensitive themes with care and encourages empathy and awareness.
Why we rated Are you being racially profiled? 9IS
Are you being racially profiled? is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 114 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Are you being racially profiled? works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Are you being racially profiled? as 9IS ("Intense — Social") 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, Are you being racially profiled? explores race discrimination, juvenile literature, social justice, family, and friendship — 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 race discrimination, juvenile literature, social justice.
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
9IS — Intense — SocialReal 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
- 9780766071384
- Pages
- 114
- Publisher
- Enslow Publishing, LLC
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction