Card for My Father
Samantha Thornhill
Card for My Father
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Samantha Thornhill
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Flora has a school assignment to make a card for her dad, but she's never met him. How do you write a card for someone you don't know? That's only the beginning of Flora's story.
Quick Assessment
This picture book sensitively explores the impact of a father's incarceration on a young daughter through Flora's perspective as she faces a school assignment to create a Father's Day card. Suitable for early readers aged 5-8, it introduces themes of family separation with gentle language and thoughtful illustrations. Parents should be aware that the story touches on incarceration but in a way appropriate for young children.
Why we rated Card for My Father 7LE
Card for My Father is written at a Level 2 reading level across 40 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Card for My Father works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Card for My Father as 7LE ("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, Card for My Father explores family, coming of age, and multicultural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 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, coming of age, multicultural.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9780998799964
- Pages
- 40
- Publisher
- Penny Candy Books
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction