Self-harming and suicide
Lisa Firth
Self-harming and suicide
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lisa Firth
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if the feelings inside you became so heavy that you didn’t know how to carry them anymore? Imagine facing the secret struggles of teenagers who cope with pain in ways no one talks about. How can they find hope when the darkness feels so close?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This book addresses the sensitive topics of self-harm and suicide among teenagers and young adults. Written at a grade 2 reading level for accessibility, it explores these challenging issues thoughtfully, aiming to inform and support secondary school students. Parents should be aware that it deals with serious mental health themes but does so in a careful, educational manner.
Why we rated Self-harming and suicide 7IE
Self-harming and suicide is written at a Level 2 reading level across 44 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Self-harming and suicide works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Self-harming and suicide as 7IE ("Intense — 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Suicide, Self-harm.
Thematically, Self-harming and suicide explores teenagers, mental health, coming of age, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 teenagers, mental health, coming of age.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
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
7IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781861685568
- Pages
- 44
- Publisher
- Independence
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Nonfiction