Intensely Alice
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Intensely Alice
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
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
What happens when a summer reunion brings more than just laughter? Alice and her friends gather in Maryland, but a funeral changes everything in a heartbeat. How will their friendships survive the surprises ahead?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the complexities of growing up as Alice and her friends reunite for a summer in Maryland marked by a funeral. The story touches on themes of friendship, change, and emotional growth suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the presence of grief and the emotional challenges the characters face.
Why we rated Intensely Alice 11ME
Intensely Alice is written at a Level 6 reading level across 289 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Intensely Alice works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Intensely Alice as 11ME ("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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Intensely Alice explores coming of age, friendship, family, summer, and grief — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, friendship, family.
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
11ME — 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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781416975519
- Pages
- 289
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2009
- Type
- Fiction