Hourglass
Myra McEntire
Hourglass
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Myra McEntire
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
Time is slipping away as the clock ticks down. Suddenly, everything changes when a secret from the past crashes into the present. Who will stop a murder before it even happens?
Quick Assessment
Hourglass is a middle-grade novel combining elements of suspense and time travel. It explores themes of family, sibling bonds, and young romance while presenting a mystery that unfolds across two timelines. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story includes some suspenseful moments but handles them in an age-appropriate way.
Why we rated Hourglass 12ME
Hourglass is written at a Level 7 reading level across 390 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Hourglass works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Hourglass 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, 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, Hourglass explores family, orphans & foster homes, siblings, love & romance, and mystery — 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 family, orphans & foster homes, siblings.
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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781606841440
- Pages
- 390
- Publisher
- Egmontusa
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction