Kiss & Make Up
Katie D. Anderson
Kiss & Make Up
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Katie D. Anderson
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for older middle graders (ages 11+), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Emerson Taylor has a unique gift: a simple kiss lets her hear others' thoughts. When she starts using this power to uncover secrets and solve problems, she finds that emotions can make everything more complicated than expected. Navigating friendship and feelings, Emerson discovers that some mysteries are best solved with the heart.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 11+.
Why we rated Kiss & Make Up 9C
Kiss & Make Up is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 307 pages (approximately 72,406 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.2 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Kiss & Make Up works for readers up to grade 6.2.
Read aloud, Kiss & Make Up runs about 8.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Kiss & Make Up as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Kiss & Make Up explores friendship, coming of age, family, romance, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 11+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 9780761463160
- Pages
- 307
- Publisher
- Skyscape
- Published
- Oct 02, 2012
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 72,406
- Read-Aloud
- ~8h 3m
- Text Density
- Standard