Interlude
Chantele Sedgwick
Interlude
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Chantele Sedgwick
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 hum of the airplane fills Mia's ears as she looks out at the endless sky, clutching a lifeline for her sister's survival. Every heartbeat pounds with hope and fear as Mia races against time in a city she doesn’t know, chasing a mother she’s never met. Between strangers and secrets, Mia’s heart stirs with something unexpected—but saving her sister comes first.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Mia, a determined girl who travels alone to New York to find her estranged birth mother in hopes of securing a kidney donation for her sick sister. The story touches on themes of family, illness, and resilience, with some mild emotional tension and light romantic elements. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it sensitively handles serious topics such as disease and family estrangement without graphic detail.
Why we rated Interlude 11ME
Interlude is written at a Level 6 reading level across 275 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Interlude works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Interlude 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, Interlude explores family, illness & disease, friendship, music, and adventure — 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, illness & disease, friendship.
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
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
- 9781510715158
- Pages
- 275
- Publisher
- Sky Pony
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction