Good Hiding
Shirley-Anne McMillan
Good Hiding
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Shirley-Anne McMillan
The text is written at a 6th 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
Nollaig is braver than anyone in Belfast — she’s hiding in a church crypt with a secret no one suspects. But when the vicar finds her and her best friend, they discover a secret of his that could change everything. Will they stay hidden forever, or find the courage to live openly and free?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Nollaig, a courageous girl navigating a difficult home life and a secret pregnancy in Belfast. The story explores themes of friendship, secrecy, and the struggle for freedom in a sensitive way appropriate for ages 9-12. Parents should note the book addresses mature topics like alcoholism and pregnancy with care, making it suitable for readers ready to engage with complex emotional situations.
Why we rated Good Hiding 11IE
Good Hiding is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Good Hiding works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Good Hiding as 11IE ("Intense — 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, Good Hiding explores friendship, family, coming of age, social justice, and multicultural — 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
11IE — Intense — 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
- 9780349002514
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Atom Books
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction