Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye

Name: Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
ISBN: 9780375870552

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Wendelin Van Draanen

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.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Who could want Sammy Keyes out of the way? Friends and foes gather, secrets bubble up, and a mystery unfolds around the girl who’s been trapped in a coma. Can anyone uncover the truth before it’s too late?

Themes

Mystery FriendshipCourageDetective Stories

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade mystery follows Sammy Keyes as she lies in a coma while those around her scramble to identify who is behind the attack. The story explores themes of friendship, trust, and courage, suitable for readers aged 9-12. It includes some suspense and mild peril but remains age-appropriate for middle-grade audiences.

Why we rated Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye ME (Moderate)

Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 236 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye 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 — 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, Sammy Keyes and the kiss goodbye explores mystery, friendship, courage, and detective stories — 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 mystery, friendship, courage.

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

Moderate ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

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.

Data confidence: high

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