Maggie Bean Stays Afloat
Tricia Rayburn
Maggie Bean Stays Afloat
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tricia Rayburn
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Maggie Bean plunges into her summer at Camp Sound View, surrounded by new faces and fresh chances. Boys treat her like a real girl, and laughter flows easier than ever before. But when old friends start feeling left behind, will Maggie’s new confidence hold steady or slip away?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This novel follows Maggie Bean’s journey of self-discovery and growing confidence after a year of hard work with her swim team and health program. As she takes on a junior counselor role at a new camp, Maggie navigates the challenges of balancing new friendships with old ones, while confronting feelings of rejection and self-worth. Appropriate for ages 13-18, the story thoughtfully explores themes of self-esteem, social dynamics, and personal growth without graphic content.
Why we rated Maggie Bean Stays Afloat 12ME
Maggie Bean Stays Afloat is written at a Level 7 reading level across 320 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Maggie Bean Stays Afloat works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Maggie Bean Stays Afloat 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 — 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, Maggie Bean Stays Afloat explores self-esteem, friendship, coming of age, sports & recreation, and social situations — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about self-esteem, friendship, 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
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
1/10A 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
- 9781416933472
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- May 6, 2008
- Type
- Fiction