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Daughters of the moon

Lynne Ewing

Cover of Daughters of the moon

Daughters of the moon

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Lynne Ewing

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

Here’s a secret: Jimena’s past is darker than anyone knows, and when she’s thrown back into it, the danger isn’t just from the streets—it’s from something far more mysterious. Caught in jail and hunted by a shape-shifting enemy, Jimena must team up with an old rival to protect her friends. But that’s only the beginning.

Themes

Fantasy & MagicFriendshipAdventureJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fantasy novel follows Jimena as she confronts perilous challenges from both her past and supernatural forces. The story includes themes of friendship, rivalry, and courage, with some scenes involving danger, police intervention, and suspenseful escapes. It is suitable for readers around ages 9-12 who enjoy fantasy and action but may require parental guidance due to tense situations.

Why we rated Daughters of the moon 12ME

Daughters of the moon is written at a Level 7 reading level across 300 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Daughters of the moon works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate Daughters of the moon 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, physical peril — 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, Daughters of the moon explores fantasy & magic, friendship, adventure, and juvenile fiction — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about fantasy & magic, friendship, adventure.

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

12ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Moderate
Social
Light
Thematic
Light

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

300 pages
ISBN
9780786808519
Pages
300
Publisher
Volo
Published
2000
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Fantasy & MagicSupernaturalTime TravelConduct of LifePsychokinesisDemoniac PossessionLos AngelesCaliforniaGangsFantasy FictionScience Fiction