Bully-proofing your school
Carla Garrity
Bully-proofing your school
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Comprehensive Approach for Elementary Schools
by Carla Garrity
The text is written at a 7th 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 ring of the school bell echoes through the busy halls, but beneath the noise, whispers of worry swirl among the students. Every step feels heavier when shadows of bullying lurk nearby, making the playground less safe and the classroom less kind. Can courage and kindness change the rhythm of this school day?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This book presents a well-rounded program created by educators and mental health professionals to address bullying and aggressiveness in school settings. Aimed at middle-grade readers, it offers practical strategies to foster a safer and more supportive environment for children aged 9 to 12. The content is appropriate for this age group and sensitively handles the challenges of bullying without graphic detail.
Why we rated Bully-proofing your school 12ME
Bully-proofing your school is written at a Level 7 reading level across 367 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Bully-proofing your school works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Bully-proofing your school as 12ME ("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 — 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, Bully-proofing your school explores bullying, aggressiveness in children, friendship, social justice, and family — 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 bullying, aggressiveness in children, friendship.
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
12ME — 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
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
- 0944584993
- Pages
- 367
- Publisher
- Sopris West
- Published
- 1995
- Type
- Fiction