What reading level is Guilty!?

Guilty! by Diana G. Gallagher is at a Level 3-4 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Guilty! appropriate for?

Guilty! is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 8LE (Light — Emotional). Content flags: Mild Peril, Bullying.

What genre is Guilty!?

Guilty! is fiction — Juvenile Fiction. Part of the Claudia Cristina Cortez series.

Does Guilty! have any content warnings?

Guilty! has a HootRating of 8LE (Light — Emotional). Content flags include: Mild Peril, Bullying. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Guilty!?

Guilty! by Diana G. Gallagher is 77 pages (approximately 8,509 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

Guilty!

Diana G. Gallagher

Guilty!

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Diana G. Gallagher

Claudia Cristina Cortez

Reading Level 3-4 8LE Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd 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

At thirteen, Claudia discovers how tricky fairness can be when she and her friend Monica are wrongly blamed for stealing money at school. As classmates jump to conclusions, Claudia must navigate misunderstandings and prove her innocence while learning about justice. This story captures the challenges of friendship and standing up for what's right.

Themes

FriendshipSchool & EducationSocial JusticeGirls & Women

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, bullying. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Guilty! 8LE

Guilty! is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 77 pages (approximately 8,509 words). Strong independent readers around grade 4.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Guilty! works for readers up to grade 5.5.

Read aloud, Guilty! takes about 57 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Guilty! as 8LE ("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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Bullying.

Thematically, Guilty! explores friendship, school & education, social justice, and girls & women — 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 who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, school & education, social justice.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 16 more books in the Claudia Cristina Cortez series.