Delaney vs. the Bully
Jen Jones
Delaney vs. the Bully
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jen Jones
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
Delaney is a fearless leader who’s about to tackle the biggest challenge yet: stopping a bully right in her own school. She’s not just fighting for justice—she’s fighting to protect her friends and herself. But what happens when the bully is someone they all know?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Delaney vs. the Bully is a middle-grade novel about friendship, leadership, and standing up against bullying. Suitable for ages 9-12, it addresses cyberbullying in a school setting with an empowering message. Parents should note that the story involves themes of peer conflict and the complexities of friendships where bullying is involved.
Why we rated Delaney vs. the Bully 9ME
Delaney vs. the Bully is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 128 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Delaney vs. the Bully works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Delaney vs. the Bully 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 — 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, Delaney vs. the Bully explores bullying, friendship, schools, sleepovers, and coming of age — 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 bullying, friendship, schools.
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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781623702618
- Pages
- 128
- Publisher
- Capstone
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction