Rise Up!
Crystal Fleming
Rise Up!
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
How You Can Join the Fight Against White Supremacy
by Crystal Fleming
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
Here’s a secret: racism didn’t just appear out of nowhere, and it’s still shaping the world around you every day. What if you could uncover the hidden roots of unfairness and learn how to stand up and make a real difference? But that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
Rise Up! by Crystal Fleming offers a thoughtful exploration of the history and present-day impact of racism, tailored for middle-grade readers aged 9-12. The book provides clear explanations and real-world examples, encouraging young people to develop empathy and take actionable steps toward fostering inclusivity. It’s a valuable resource for families seeking to introduce conversations about social justice with age-appropriate depth.
Why we rated Rise Up! 11IS
Rise Up! is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Rise Up! works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Rise Up! 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, Rise Up! explores social justice, coming of age, family, friendship, and multicultural — 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 social justice, coming of age, family.
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 — SocialReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250226396
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Macmillan + ORM
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction