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Remember As You Pass Me By

L. King Perez

Cover of Remember As You Pass Me By

Remember As You Pass Me By

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by L. King Perez

Reading Level 6 11IS Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 6th 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 wondered what it’s like to live in a town where change feels scary and unfair? Twelve-year-old Silvy faces a world where schools are about to change, families argue, and everyone seems to expect her to mess up. How will she find her place when everything around her is shifting?

Quick Assessment

Set in 1950s Texas, this middle-grade novel explores themes of racial integration, family challenges, and social prejudice through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl. It thoughtfully addresses historical and social issues appropriate for ages 9-12, offering a meaningful look at personal and community change without graphic content.

Why we rated Remember As You Pass Me By 11IS

Remember As You Pass Me By is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Remember As You Pass Me By works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Remember As You Pass Me By as 11IS ("Intense — Social") 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — 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, Remember As You Pass Me By explores prejudice & racism, family, coming of age, historical, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

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 prejudice & racism, family, coming of age.

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

11IS — Intense — Social
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Clear
Social
Intense
Thematic
Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

5/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

224 pages
ISBN
9781571316776
Pages
224
Publisher
Milkweed Editions
Published
September 28, 2007
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Social IssuesPrejudice & RacismSocial SituationsHistoricalUnited States20th CenturyRace RelationsFamiliesFriendshipFamily LifePrejudicesSchool IntegrationAfrican AmericansTexas