Contagion
Teri Terry
Contagion
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Teri Terry
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for older middle graders (ages 11+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
A fast-moving epidemic sweeps the nation, forcing everyone into quarantine as young Callie escapes from a secret lab where she was subjected to dangerous experiments. Her brother Kai teams up with a clever friend to uncover the truth behind the outbreak and search for a cure. Together, they face thrilling challenges in a race against time to stop the disaster from spreading further.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, physical danger, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 11+.
Why we rated Contagion 9ME
Contagion is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 409 pages (approximately 96,491 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.4 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Contagion works for readers up to grade 6.4.
Read aloud, Contagion runs about 10.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Contagion 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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Physical Danger, Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, Contagion explores adventure, science & nature, family, and mystery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 11+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, science & nature, family.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Dark Matter series.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
6/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781580899895
- Pages
- 409
- Publisher
- Charlesbridge Publishing
- Published
- 2019
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 96,491
- Read-Aloud
- ~10h 43m
- Text Density
- Standard