Clones
John Whitman
Clones
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by John Whitman
The text is written at a 4th 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
Tash Arranda freezes as she spots her parents—except they’re supposed to be gone forever. In the shadowy halls of an abandoned Rebel base on Dantooine, something isn’t right. Suddenly, the chilling figure of Darth Vader appears, and Tash knows danger is closing in fast.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade sci-fi adventure follows Tash Arranda as she confronts shocking secrets and faces dark threats on a remote planet. The story includes themes of family, loyalty, and bravery, with action-packed scenes and mild horror elements suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note some intense moments involving family conflict and villainous characters.
Why we rated Clones 9ME
Clones is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 124 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Clones works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Clones as 9ME ("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, physical peril — 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, Clones explores adventure, science & nature, fantasy world-building, family, and friendship — 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 adventure, science & nature, fantasy world-building.
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
9ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780553486414
- Pages
- 124
- Publisher
- Skylark
- Published
- 1998
- Type
- Fiction