Child Temperament
David Rettew
Child Temperament
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
New Thinking about the Boundary Between Traits and Illness
by David Rettew
The text is written at a 6th 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
Here's a secret: not every child who feels sad or angry is sick. Sometimes, it's just how their personality shines through, but that's only the beginning of understanding what makes each kid unique.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction book delves into the nuanced differences between children's temperamental traits and psychological disorders like depression and anger issues. It offers thoughtful insights into how temperament can influence a child's emotional development and potential mental health challenges, making it suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the exploration of personality and mental health topics, presented in an age-appropriate, sensitive manner.
Why we rated Child Temperament 11ME
Child Temperament is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Child Temperament works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Child Temperament as 11ME ("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, thematic difficulty — 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, Child Temperament explores temperament, personality disorders, children, mental health, 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about temperament, personality disorders, children.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
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
11ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780393707304
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- W. W. Norton & Company
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Nonfiction