Sick Soil
Kevin Blake
Sick Soil
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Dust Bowl
by Kevin Blake
The text is written at a 5th 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
Discover how the land and lives of people in the Midwest changed when massive dust storms turned farms into wastelands during the 1930s. Follow the challenges faced by families as they battled nature and learned the importance of caring for the earth. This tale brings history to life with adventure and hope.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include poverty & hardship, environmental challenges. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated Sick Soil 10LE
Sick Soil is written at a Level 5-6 reading level (approximately 2,349 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Sick Soil works for readers up to grade 7.5.
Read aloud, Sick Soil takes about 16 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.
We rate Sick Soil as 10LE ("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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Poverty & Hardship, Environmental Challenges.
Thematically, Sick Soil explores historical, family, science & nature, and survival — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, family, science & nature.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Eco-Disasters series.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
More in the Eco-Disasters Series
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781684022236
- Publisher
- Bearport Publishing
- Published
- 2017-08-01
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Word Count
- 2,349
- Read-Aloud
- ~16 min