Greats
Deborah Ellis
Greats
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Deborah Ellis
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if your grandfathers came back as friendly ghosts to help you through your darkest moments? Imagine teaming up with a giant prehistoric sloth on a journey to find hope and strength when everything feels hopeless. But can this supernatural support save a boy on the edge before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Greats is a young adult novel about a teenage boy struggling with suicidal thoughts who finds unexpected support from ghostly ancestors and a prehistoric creature. The story thoughtfully explores themes of mental health, family bonds, and cultural heritage. Suitable for teens aged 13-18, it handles heavy topics with sensitivity and hope.
Why we rated Greats 11IE
Greats is written at a Level 6 reading level across 200 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Greats works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Greats 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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Suicidal Thoughts.
Thematically, Greats explores family, mental health, multicultural, supernatural, and young adult fiction — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 family, mental health, multicultural.
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.
Content Flags
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781773063874
- Pages
- 200
- Publisher
- Groundwood Books
- Published
- 2020
- Type
- Fiction