Skyscraping
Cordelia Jensen
Skyscraping
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Cordelia Jensen
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
Mira thought she knew everything about her family—until she finds her dad with someone unexpected. Secrets, surprises, and a shocking health scare shake up her world, forcing her to rethink what family really means. Her journey shows that love can be complicated, but it’s also worth fighting for.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Skyscraping is a middle-grade novel in verse exploring themes of family, identity, and forgiveness through the eyes of Mira, a high school senior grappling with her father’s hidden sexual orientation and HIV diagnosis. The story sensitively addresses complex topics such as LGBTQ+ identity and illness, making it suitable for readers aged 9-12 who are ready to engage with mature emotional content. Parents should be aware of the book’s candid depiction of family struggles and health issues, presented in accessible free verse.
Why we rated Skyscraping 12IE
Skyscraping is written at a Level 7 reading level across 347 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Skyscraping works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Skyscraping as 12IE ("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: LGBTQ+ Themes, Illness.
Thematically, Skyscraping explores family, identity & self-discovery, forgiveness, lgbtq+ representation, and health & illness — 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.
- ✓ 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 family, identity & self-discovery, forgiveness.
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
12IE — 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
- 9780399167713
- Pages
- 347
- Publisher
- Penguin Group (USA)
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction