Burning up
Caroline B. Cooney
Burning up
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Caroline B. Cooney
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Macey Clare enjoys life in her charming Connecticut town, especially visiting her grandparents and meeting Austin, a new neighbor. When a school project leads her to uncover the mysterious past of a burned barn nearby, she stumbles upon hidden truths that challenge everything she thought she knew about her community and loved ones. Facing these revelations, Macey must decide how to confront the shadows of history and their impact on today.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include racial discrimination, emotional: identity & self-discovery. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Burning up 10MS
Burning up is written at a Level 5 reading level across 230 pages (approximately 53,665 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Burning up works for readers up to grade 7.0.
Read aloud, Burning up runs about 6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Burning up as 10MS ("Moderate — 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 social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Racial Discrimination, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery.
Thematically, Burning up explores family, friendship, coming of age, social justice, and multicultural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 family, friendship, coming of age.
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
10MS — Moderate — SocialReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
6/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0385323182
- Pages
- 230
- Publisher
- Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1999
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 53,665
- Read-Aloud
- ~5h 58m
- Text Density
- Standard