Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Copper sun
Sharon M. Draper
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
What would you do if your whole world was turned upside down and you were taken far away from everything you know? Amari’s peaceful life is shattered when she is captured by slavers and forced onto a ship bound for Carolina. Can she find a way to escape and reclaim her freedom, or will her fate be sealed?
Quick Assessment
Amari is torn from her village, sold into slavery in the Carolinas, and forced into a life she never chose, while she clings to her memories and her hope. Her friendship with the indentured servant Molly drives a dangerous escape toward the Spanish colony at Fort Mose, through hunger, cold, wild animals, and people eager to turn runaways in for reward. Expect unflinching depictions of murder, brutal violence, and the cruelty of slavery, handled with historical weight, so it suits mature readers who can discuss its hard history with a parent.
Why we rated Copper sun IE (Intense)
Copper sun is written at a Level 7 reading level across 314 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate Copper sun as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping.
Thematically, Copper sun explores history, slavery, african americans, survival, and family — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about history, slavery, african americans.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
For Parents
Content Intensity
IE · Intense · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781416953487
- Pages
- 314
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2008
- Type
- Fiction