Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence

Lynda Comerford

Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Lynda Comerford

Reading Level 6 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

What if your birthday party turned into a showdown, and suddenly you had no friends? Rissa Bartholomew steps into middle school ready to find her true tribe — but can she stay true to herself when everyone else is trying to fit in? The real question is, who will stand by her side?

Themes

Friendship Coming of Age Family Social Justice

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction follows Rissa Bartholomew, an eleven-year-old girl navigating the challenges of middle school and friendships after a dramatic birthday party incident. The story explores themes of self-identity and social belonging appropriate for ages 9-12, with light emotional moments around friendship and individuality. There are no intense or graphic content concerns.

Why we rated Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence 11LE

Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence is written at a Level 6 reading level across 250 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence 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, Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence explores friendship, coming of age, family, and social justice — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.

Maybe not for

! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LE — Light — Emotional

Emotional

Light ←

Physical

Clear

Social

Light

Thematic

Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

4/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level

Emotional Weight

Theme Richness

World Scope

Data Confidence

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Rissa Bartholomew's declaration of independence

Lynda B. Comerford