Running out of night

Name: Running out of night
Author: Sharon Lovejoy
ISBN: 9780375991479

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Sharon Lovejoy

Reading Level 5-6 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 5th 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The sharp scent of pine fills the cool night air as footsteps crunch softly over dry leaves. Two girls, each carrying heavy secrets, slip quietly through the shadows, hearts pounding with hope and fear. Their journey toward freedom is just beginning, and every step holds the promise of a new dawn.

Themes

FriendshipRace relationsRunawaysJuvenile fiction

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows the story of a twelve-year-old white girl escaping abuse and an escaped slave girl who forge a powerful friendship while seeking freedom. It sensitively explores themes of race relations and resilience, appropriate for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should be aware of mature topics like abuse and runaway experiences, which are handled with care but may prompt discussion.

Why we rated Running out of night ME (Moderate)

Running out of night is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 287 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Running out of night on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Running out of night as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) 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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Abuse, Runaway.

Thematically, Running out of night explores friendship, race relations, runaways, and juvenile fiction — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, race relations, runaways.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

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