My father's keeper
Julie Gregory
My father's keeper
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Julie Gregory
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
Some dads have secrets that even their kids don’t fully understand. Imagine loving a dad who can be your hero one moment and then suddenly scary the next. This story shows how one girl faced her confusing feelings and found strength in the hardest times.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fictional memoir explores the challenging experience of growing up with a schizophrenic father who hides his illness behind a charismatic but unpredictable personality. It addresses complex themes of mental illness, family dynamics, and emotional resilience, suitable for ages 9-12 with parental guidance due to mature emotional content and scenes involving fear and mild peril. The book sensitively portrays the impact of parental mental illness on children while emphasizing survival and understanding.
Why we rated My father's keeper 11ME
My father's keeper is written at a Level 6 reading level across 298 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, My father's keeper works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate My father's keeper 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, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Fear & Anxiety, Mental Health, Emotional: Loss & Grief, Physical/Safety: Mild Peril.
Thematically, My father's keeper explores family, children of the mentally ill, biography, emotional resilience, and mental health — 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 family, children of the mentally ill, biography.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! 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.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780007268788
- Pages
- 298
- Publisher
- HarperCollins UK
- Published
- 2008
- Type
- Nonfiction