Clarity
Kim Harrington
Clarity
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kim Harrington
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
What if your family could see things others couldn’t? Sixteen-year-old Clare Fern uses her psychic gift to help catch a murderer in a bustling Cape Cod town, but when her own brother becomes the prime suspect, can she trust what she senses? The mystery deepens, and the truth feels just out of reach.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Clarity follows sixteen-year-old Clare Fern, a psychic teenager who assists local authorities in solving a murder in a busy Cape Cod town. The story explores family loyalty, mystery, and interpersonal relationships, suitable for middle-grade readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware of themes involving murder and suspicion but presented in an age-appropriate manner.
Why we rated Clarity 11ME
Clarity is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Clarity works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Clarity 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, Clarity explores mystery, family, psychic abilities, interpersonal relations, 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, family, psychic abilities.
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
2/10A 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
- 9780545230513
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction