How to get it together when your parents are coming apart
Arlene Kramer Richards
How to get it together when your parents are coming apart
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Arlene Kramer Richards
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.
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About This Book
Some kids think their parents' fights mean everything is falling apart, but what if you could learn to stay strong no matter what? This story shows how you can find your own way through family storms and still hold onto hope. Understanding this can change everything about how you see your family.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction book offers practical insight and emotional support for children facing their parents' marital difficulties and divorce. Suitable for ages 9-12, it gently explores the challenges of family change while encouraging resilience and understanding. Parents should note it addresses sensitive family topics with care, making it a valuable resource for children navigating these experiences.
Why we rated How to get it together when your parents are coming apart 9ME
How to get it together when your parents are coming apart is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 171 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, How to get it together when your parents are coming apart works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate How to get it together when your parents are coming apart as 9ME ("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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Divorce & Family Change, Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, How to get it together when your parents are coming apart explores family, children of divorced parents, 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, children of divorced parents, coming of age.
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
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
- 055311378X
- Pages
- 171
- Publisher
- Bantam
- Published
- 1977
- Type
- Fiction