Grounded

Name: Grounded
Author: Kate Klise
ISBN: 9780312570392

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Kate Klise

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What would you do if your whole world suddenly changed in a blink? Twelve-year-old Daralynn faces heartbreak, family struggles, and unexpected new challenges in a tiny town where secrets and surprises hide around every corner. Can she find hope when everything feels upside down?

Themes

GriefFamilySwindlers and SwindlingFictionHistorical

Quick Assessment

Grounded tells the story of twelve-year-old Daralynn coping with the tragic loss of her father, brother, and sister in a plane crash. Set in a small Missouri town, the book explores themes of grief, family dynamics, and resilience, with some subtle historical and swindling elements woven into the plot. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it handles emotional topics sensitively without graphic content.

Why we rated Grounded ME (Moderate)

Grounded is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 196 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Grounded on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Grounded as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, Grounded explores grief, family, swindlers and swindling, fiction, and historical — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about grief, family, swindlers and swindling.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

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

Data confidence: high

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