Hazard
Margaret Combs
Hazard
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Sister's Flight from Family and a Broken Boy
by Margaret Combs
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
The heavy scent of old wood and whispered prayers fills the air as a young girl navigates the complicated world of her family’s love and struggles. She feels the weight of silence and the warmth of connection in a home shadowed by her brother’s challenges. Through the sounds and textures of her past, she discovers the bittersweet ties that bind her heart forever.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Hazard is a heartfelt memoir exploring the complexities of growing up with a severely disabled sibling during the mid-20th century. It provides insight into family dynamics, autism, and the emotional conflicts experienced by siblings, making it suitable for middle-grade readers who can handle mature themes of family hardship and personal growth. Parents should note the book deals with emotional struggles and the evolving understanding of disability within a historical context.
Why we rated Hazard 11IE
Hazard is written at a Level 6 reading level across 274 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Hazard works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Hazard 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Hazard explores family, disability representation, autism, sibling relationships, and coming of age — 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 family, disability representation, autism.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
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
- 9781510715318
- Pages
- 274
- Publisher
- Skyhorse
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Nonfiction