Spread Your Wings & Fly
Rebecca Engle Smith
Spread Your Wings & Fly
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Teenager's Journey of Suspense, Romance and Terror (in Overcoming Sexual Abuse)
by Rebecca Engle Smith
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is very intense with mature or graphic material.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
The quiet creak of a floorboard makes your heart pound in a house that should feel safe. Imagine hiding secrets that weigh heavy like shadows, while trying to smile at friends and figure out what love really means. Sometimes bravery looks like just getting through the day, but that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This emotionally raw novel explores the difficult and sensitive topic of sexual abuse within a family, following a teenage girl’s struggle to cope with trauma while navigating friendships and dating. Based on true experiences, it offers an authentic perspective suitable for mature teens ages 13 and up. Parents should be aware of explicit themes around incest and abuse, making it a valuable resource for education and support rather than casual reading.
Why we rated Spread Your Wings & Fly 9VE
Spread Your Wings & Fly is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 176 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Spread Your Wings & Fly works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Spread Your Wings & Fly as 9VE ("Vivid — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Very Intense" range — very intense or graphic content — peril, violence, trauma, or mature themes treated head-on. 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: Sexual Abuse, Incest, Teen Trauma.
Thematically, Spread Your Wings & Fly explores abuse - sexual, family, identity & self-discovery, mental health, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about abuse - sexual, family, identity & self-discovery.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13+ — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9VE — Vivid — EmotionalGraphic or sustained depictions of trauma, violence, or mature content.
Content Flags
Was our "Very Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Spread Your Wings
Emma Dodd
Spread Your Wings
Emma Dodd
Fly free
C. S. Adler
Fly free
C. S. Adler
Wings
Elizabeth Richards
Wings
Elizabeth Richards
Wings
Elizabeth Dawson Baker
Wings
Elizabeth Dawson Baker
A Wish for Wings
Robert Swindells
A Wish for Wings
Robert Swindells
Transforming abuse
Karen L. Schmidt
Transforming abuse
Karen L. Schmidt
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781888106534
- Pages
- 176
- Publisher
- Agreka Books
- Published
- July 2000
- Type
- Fiction