Patina
Jason Reynolds
Patina
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jason Reynolds
The text is written at a 7th 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
Have you ever felt like running could solve all your problems? Patty is new to the track team and runs not just to win, but to escape the worries that follow her every step. But what happens when she has to trust others and run together in a relay race?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Patina is a middle-grade novel about a young girl navigating the challenges of family illness, foster care, and the pressures of joining an elite track team. The story explores themes of stress, resilience, and teamwork, suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should be aware it touches on sensitive topics like chronic illness and family separation, but handles them with care.
Why we rated Patina 12ME
Patina is written at a Level 7 reading level across 360 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Patina works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Patina 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, Patina explores family, sports, stress, coming of age, and friendship — 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, sports, stress.
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
2/10A 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
- 9781508236504
- Pages
- 360
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction
- Language
- ES