Comrades
Stephen E. Ambrose
Comrades
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Stephen E. Ambrose
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Explore the powerful bonds of friendship and family through stories of historical figures and personal memories. Journey alongside soldiers, explorers, and brothers who share unbreakable connections forged in trust, loyalty, and shared experiences. Discover how these relationships shape lives across time and inspire enduring love and companionship.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 7-8 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include loss & grief, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Comrades 12LE
Comrades is written at a Level 7-8 reading level across 139 pages (approximately 35,616 words). Strong independent readers around grade 8.7 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Comrades works for readers up to grade 9.7.
Read aloud, Comrades runs about 4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Comrades as 12LE ("Light — 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: Loss & Grief, Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, Comrades explores family, friendship, history of specific subjects, men's studies, and united states — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, friendship, history of specific subjects.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" 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
- 0743200748
- Pages
- 139
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Published
- September 7, 2000
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Word Count
- 35,616
- Read-Aloud
- ~3h 57m
- Text Density
- Dense