Close to the Wind
Jon Walter
Close to the Wind
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jon Walter
The text is written at a 7th 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
The salty breeze stings Malik’s face as the ship creaks and groans beneath his feet. All around him, the cries of the port fade into silence, but Malik’s heart races louder than ever. Alone on this vast sea, he must find the strength to face a future far from everything he’s ever known.
Quick Assessment
Close to the Wind follows Malik, a young boy who escapes alone on a ship from a war-torn country after his grandfather is lost in the chaos. This middle-grade novel sensitively explores themes of displacement, survival, and resilience appropriate for readers ages 9-12. Parents should note the story includes the emotional challenges of loss and adjusting to a new life as a refugee.
Why we rated Close to the Wind 12ME
Close to the Wind is written at a Level 7 reading level across 320 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Close to the Wind works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Close to the Wind as 12ME ("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, social complexity — 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, Close to the Wind explores refugees, orphans, family, and survival — 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 refugees, orphans, family.
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
12ME — 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
- 9780545822756
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- David Fickling Books
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction