Set Me Free
Ann Clare LeZotte
Set Me Free
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ann Clare LeZotte
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
I have a secret about a girl named Mary who was taken away and used in a strange experiment because she’s deaf. Now, she’s back to help a little girl who can’t speak or sign — but what if freeing her means risking everything? That's only the beginning of an incredible story.
Quick Assessment
Set Me Free is a middle-grade historical fiction novel that explores themes of deafness, communication, and social injustice. It follows fourteen-year-old Mary Lambert as she works to teach a younger deaf girl to communicate, uncovering deeper mysteries and challenges about ableism and racism. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book handles sensitive topics with care and provides a thoughtful look at resilience and advocacy.
Why we rated Set Me Free 11ME
Set Me Free 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, Set Me Free works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Set Me Free as 11ME ("Moderate — 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Set Me Free explores disability representation, family, coming of age, social justice, and friendship — 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 disability representation, family, coming of age.
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
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal 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
- 9781338742497
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Scholastic Press
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction