On the come up
Travis Hunter
On the come up
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Travis Hunter
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
Here’s a secret about DeMarco and Jasmine: life in their neighborhood is tougher than anyone thinks. DeMarco finds juvie strangely better than home, while Jasmine fights battles no one sees. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the challenging lives of African American siblings navigating survival in an inner-city environment. It touches on difficult themes such as juvenile detention, family struggles, and street life, making it suitable for readers aged 9 to 12 who can handle mature social issues. Parents should be aware of the book’s realistic portrayal of hardship and resilience.
Why we rated On the come up 11ME
On the come up is written at a Level 6 reading level across 227 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, On the come up works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate On the come up 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, social complexity — 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, On the come up explores inner cities, african american teenagers, brothers and sisters, street life, and juvenile fiction — 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 inner cities, african american teenagers, brothers and sisters.
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
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
- 9780758242525
- Pages
- 227
- Publisher
- Kensington Books
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction