NewsPrints
Ru Xu
NewsPrints
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ru Xu
The text is written at a 4th 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
Blue races through the crowded streets, clutching the latest newspaper as she dodges suspicious glances. Disguised as a newsboy, she risks everything to share the truth during a dangerous war. But when Crow appears, hiding secrets of his own, will their friendship help them survive—or put them both in peril?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set during a wartime period, this middle-grade novel follows Blue, an orphan who disguises herself as a boy to work at a truthful newspaper. The story explores themes of identity, friendship, and courage, with nuanced portrayals of gender expression and secret lives. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, it contains mild tension related to war and personal risk but is handled thoughtfully.
Why we rated NewsPrints 9ME
NewsPrints is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 198 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, NewsPrints works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate NewsPrints as 9ME ("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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — 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, NewsPrints explores friendship, identity & self-discovery, war & conflict, adventure, and graphic novels — 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 friendship, identity & self-discovery, war & conflict.
- ✓ 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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — 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
- 9780545803120
- Pages
- 198
- Publisher
- Scholastic, Incorporated
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Nonfiction