Ghost Ride
Marina Cohen
Ghost Ride
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Marina Cohen
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Sam races through the dark streets, heart pounding as shadows flicker behind him. Cody’s plan has gone sideways, and Javon is missing—left alone in danger. Sam’s phone buzzes with a mysterious message: someone else knows what really happened.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Ghost Ride follows 14-year-old Sam McLean as he becomes entangled in a risky adventure that spirals out of control after a friend is left behind. The story explores themes of conscience, loyalty, and consequences, suitable for readers ages 9 to 12. Parents should note the presence of suspense and mild peril but no graphic content.
Why we rated Ghost Ride 9LE
Ghost Ride is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 184 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Ghost Ride works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Ghost Ride as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Ghost Ride explores adventure, friendship, conscience, and mystery — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, conscience.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781554884384
- Pages
- 184
- Publisher
- Dundurn
- Published
- 2009
- Type
- Fiction