Skating with the Statue of Liberty
Susan Meyer
Skating with the Statue of Liberty
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Susan Meyer
The text is written at a 7th 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
The chilly breeze smells of salt and city streets as Gustave glides on ice near the towering Statue of Liberty. The sharp scrape of his skates cuts through the quiet, but his heart feels heavy with worry for his friend left behind. In this new land of hope, Gustave soon learns that freedom comes with unexpected challenges.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in post-World War II New York, this middle-grade novel follows Gustave, a young Jewish immigrant who escapes Nazi-occupied France with his family. It explores themes of immigration, family bonds, and the realities of encountering prejudice even in a land of freedom. Suitable for ages 9-12, it sensitively addresses complex social issues appropriate for this age group.
Why we rated Skating with the Statue of Liberty 12ME
Skating with the Statue of Liberty is written at a Level 7 reading level across 304 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Skating with the Statue of Liberty works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Skating with the Statue of Liberty as 12ME ("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 — 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, Skating with the Statue of Liberty explores immigrants, family, race relations, historical, and multicultural — 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 immigrants, family, race relations.
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
12ME — 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
- 9780385741552
- Pages
- 304
- Publisher
- Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction