Buried Secrets
Carly Anne West
Buried Secrets
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Buried Secrets
by Carly Anne West
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if your best friends suddenly disappeared without a trace? Nicky Roth is desperate to uncover the mystery, especially after spotting a secret SOS signal from across the street. But with warnings ringing in his ears and friends pulling away, will he dare to investigate the eerie Peterson house alone?
Quick Assessment
Buried Secrets follows Nicky Roth, a determined middle-grade protagonist, as he tries to solve the mystery of his missing friends. The story involves themes of suspense and mild peril appropriate for ages 9-12, with a focus on friendship and courage. Parents should note some tension and mystery but no graphic content.
Why we rated Buried Secrets 11LE
Buried Secrets is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Buried Secrets works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Buried Secrets as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Buried Secrets explores friendship, mystery, and adventure — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, mystery, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781338348590
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Hello Neighbor
- Published
- 2019
- Type
- Fiction