Danilo Was Here
Tamika Burgess
Danilo Was Here
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tamika Burgess
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
Danilo grips his baseball bat tighter than ever as the crowd's roar fades behind him. He's miles from home, chasing a dream that could change everything — but the biggest game is finding the father who disappeared years ago. Just when hope feels within reach, a secret threatens to steal it all away.
Quick Assessment
Danilo Was Here follows a young boy with baseball talent who travels to the United States to train and search for his absentee father. The story explores themes of family, identity, and the impact of political conflict on children, set against the backdrop of the U.S. military invasion of Panama. Suitable for middle grade readers ages 9-12, it thoughtfully addresses complex social and emotional topics with sensitivity.
Why we rated Danilo Was Here 12ME
Danilo Was Here is written at a Level 7 reading level across 304 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Danilo Was Here works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Danilo Was Here 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, thematic difficulty — 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, Danilo Was Here explores family, adventure, coming of age, sports, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, adventure, coming of age.
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
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
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780063159662
- Pages
- 304
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Published
- 2025
- Type
- Fiction