Please, say please
Elizabeth L. Post
Please, say please
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Common Sense Guide to Bringing Up Your Child
by Elizabeth L. Post
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: saying 'please' isn’t just about being polite—it’s a magic key that can open doors and brighten someone’s day. When you learn how thoughtful words can change the way people feel, you’ll discover something even more powerful—but that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This thoughtful guide introduces children ages 9-12 to the importance of good manners, focusing on respect and kindness as the foundation for positive relationships. It encourages common sense and mutual respect in daily interactions without prescribing rigid rules. Suitable for middle-grade readers, it gently supports social and emotional growth through the lens of etiquette.
Why we rated Please, say please 12C
Please, say please is written at a Level 7 reading level across 300 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Please, say please works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Please, say please as 12C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Please, say please explores child rearing, etiquette for children and teenagers, family, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about child rearing, etiquette for children and teenagers, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0316714658
- Pages
- 300
- Publisher
- Little, Brown
- Published
- 1972
- Type
- Fiction