Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye
George Harmon Smith
Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by George Harmon Smith
The text is written at a 4th 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
Kimberly races through the quiet streets in Hot Haliday's Z-300, racing against time to reach Venus Bolton's funeral. The air is thick with sadness and secrets, and Kimberly's heart pounds as she steps into a room full of whispers and hidden dangers. What will happen when she faces the father of Venus' baby boy?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of loss, courage, and community through the eyes of Kimberly, a young basketball player navigating life after her father's death. The story includes emotional moments around death and family struggles, portrayed with sensitivity appropriate for ages 9-12. Parents should be aware of topics such as bereavement, single parenthood, and subtle social conflict.
Why we rated Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye 9ME
Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 156 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye 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, 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, Dark Delta Deep, Blue Goodbye explores friendship, family, coming of age, romance, 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, 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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — 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
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780595259465
- Pages
- 156
- Publisher
- iUniverse
- Published
- December 25, 2002
- Type
- Fiction