Hide and Seeker
Daka Hermon
Hide and Seeker
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Daka Hermon
The text is written at a 7th 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
There’s a secret hiding in the game of hide-and-seek, and it’s more than just fun and games. When twelve-year-old Zee returns after a year away, strange marks appear and friends start vanishing into a shadowy world ruled by a terrifying Seeker—but that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade horror novel follows twelve-year-old Zee and his friends as they face supernatural dangers after playing a twisted version of hide-and-seek. The story contains suspenseful and scary moments suitable for readers aged 9-12 who enjoy thrilling adventures. Parents should note themes of disappearance, fear, and supernatural monsters.
Why we rated Hide and Seeker 12ME
Hide and Seeker is written at a Level 7 reading level across 320 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Hide and Seeker works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Hide and Seeker as 12ME ("Moderate — 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, physical peril — 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, Hide and Seeker explores friendship, adventure, horror, supernatural, and thriller — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, adventure, horror.
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
12ME — Moderate — 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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781338583625
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- Scholastic, Incorporated
- Published
- 2020
- Type
- Fiction