Racing Savannah
Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Miranda Kenneally
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Savannah feels more at home with horses than with people, especially boys like Jack Goodwin. He lives in the grand estate house, while she works in the stables, where their worlds are supposed to stay apart. But when Jack starts breaking all the rules, everything Savannah thought she knew begins to change—and that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the story of Savannah, a girl who dreams of becoming a professional horse trainer and navigates a forbidden friendship with Jack, a boy from a wealthy family. Set against the backdrop of horse training, the story touches on themes of social boundaries and young romance, suitable for readers aged 9-12. The book contains mild romantic elements and emphasizes following one’s dreams while challenging social norms.
Why we rated Racing Savannah 11LE
Racing Savannah is written at a Level 6 reading level across 291 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Racing Savannah works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Racing Savannah as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Racing Savannah explores horses, love, juvenile fiction, horsemanship, and love stories — 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 horses, love, juvenile fiction.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781402284762
- Pages
- 291
- Publisher
- Sourcebooks, Inc.
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction