Playing solitaire
Nancy Antle
Playing solitaire
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Nancy Antle
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
What if the person you're most afraid of is also the one everyone is trying to catch? Imagine hiding out in a small town, living with your grandfather, while your dad is running from the police for hurting you. How can Ellie stay safe when danger feels so close?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows fourteen-year-old Ellie as she lives with her grandfather in a small Oklahoma town, grappling with fear stemming from her father's violent past and ongoing threat. The story sensitively addresses themes of child abuse and the complexities of family relationships, appropriate for readers aged 9-12 who can handle serious emotional content. Parents should be aware of the depiction of trauma and the presence of a fugitive father.
Why we rated Playing solitaire 9IE
Playing solitaire is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 103 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Playing solitaire works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Playing solitaire as 9IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Child Abuse, Fugitive from Justice.
Thematically, Playing solitaire explores fathers and daughters, family, fear & anxiety, survival, and multicultural — 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 fathers and daughters, family, fear & anxiety.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" 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
- 0803724063
- Pages
- 103
- Publisher
- Dial Books
- Published
- 2000
- Type
- Fiction