Circle of secrets

Name: Circle of secrets
Author: Kimberley Griffiths Little
ISBN: 9780545165617

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Reading Level 5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

When Shelby Jayne must move into her mother's mysterious home deep in the Louisiana bayou, she faces teasing classmates and eerie secrets hidden in a blue bottle tree. Befriending Gwen, a solitary girl with her own mysteries, Shelby embarks on a journey to uncover hidden messages and confront the ghosts of her past. With courage and faith, she discovers the strength to heal old wounds and find forgiveness.

Themes

Family FriendshipGhostsComing of AgeFaithMulticultural

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include bullying, fear & anxiety, loss & grief. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Circle of secrets LE (Mild)

Circle of secrets is written at a Level 5 reading level across 338 pages (approximately 68,970 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Circle of secrets on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Circle of secrets runs about 7.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Circle of secrets as LE (Mild, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, Fear & Anxiety, Loss & Grief.

Thematically, Circle of secrets explores family, friendship, ghosts, coming of age, and faith — 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 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, friendship, ghosts.

Maybe not for

! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.