Reggie & me
Marie Yates
Reggie & me
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The First Book in the Dani Moore Trilogy
by Marie Yates
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 intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Dani's life changes in ways she never expected, and her dog Reggie is by her side through it all. Together, they face tough challenges that no one should have to endure—but that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Dani, a teenage girl navigating the aftermath of a traumatic event as she starts a new school year. Told through her diary, the story explores themes of resilience, personal growth, and recovery, with supportive relationships playing a key role. Recommended for ages 9-12, parents should be aware of mature themes involving trauma and legal proceedings.
Why we rated Reggie & me 11IE
Reggie & me is written at a Level 6 reading level across 221 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Reggie & me works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Reggie & me as 11IE ("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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Sexual Assault.
Thematically, Reggie & me explores coming of age, friendship, family, personal growth, and human-animal relationships — 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 coming of age, friendship, family.
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
11IE — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781782797227
- Pages
- 221
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction