Blended
Sharon M. Draper
Blended
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sharon M. Draper
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
Isabella lives two very different lives: one week with her dad in a fancy neighborhood, the next with her mom in a cozy little house. But it’s not just her homes that change — people keep asking what race she really is, making her feel like she doesn’t fully belong anywhere. When her family faces their biggest fight and a terrifying moment with the police, Isabella must figure out how to feel whole again.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Blended explores the complex emotions of an eleven-year-old biracial girl navigating her divorced parents’ very different lives and the challenges of racial identity. The story addresses family conflict, racial perception, and trauma, including a tense police encounter involving gun violence and ableist language. Recommended for ages 9–12, parents should be aware of mature themes such as divorce, racial issues, and distressing scenes.
Why we rated Blended 12IE
Blended is written at a Level 7 reading level across 320 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Blended works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Blended as 12IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. 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: Ableist Language, Hate Speech, Blood/Gore, Gun Violence.
Thematically, Blended explores family, race relations, divorce, and identity & self-discovery — 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 family, race relations, divorce.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781442495029
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction