Blood of the Donnellys
David McRae
Blood of the Donnellys
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by David McRae
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
Jason races through the shadowy streets of Lucan, heart pounding as a gang chases him down. Suddenly, a cold breeze whispers secrets only he can hear—a ghost from long ago reaching out to save him. But can Jason trust this mysterious helper before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows 15-year-old Jason Stevens as he moves to Lucan, Ontario, a town with a dark history tied to the Donnelly family massacre. Jason struggles with gang involvement and drug issues, while encountering a ghostly presence that offers guidance. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book explores themes of family history, personal challenges, and supernatural elements with moderate intensity.
Why we rated Blood of the Donnellys 9ME
Blood of the Donnellys is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 152 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Blood of the Donnellys works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Blood of the Donnellys 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, physical peril, social complexity — 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, Blood of the Donnellys explores adventure, family, mystery, supernatural, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, family, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
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
3/10A 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
- 9781550027549
- Pages
- 152
- Publisher
- Sandcastle Books
- Published
- February 15, 2007
- Type
- Fiction