Stay Away from Simon!
Carol Carrick
Stay Away from Simon!
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carol Carrick
Illustrated by Donald Carrick
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Have you ever felt scared of someone you don’t understand? Lucy and her little brother spot a boy following them home on a snowy day, and their hearts are full of questions and worries. What will happen next when fear meets kindness?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This gentle fiction book explores young children's feelings and fears about a boy with a mental disability who follows them home on a snowy day. Aimed at early readers aged 5 to 8, it sensitively addresses themes of fear, understanding, and empathy. Parents should know it introduces concepts around mental disabilities in a simple, age-appropriate way.
Why we rated Stay Away from Simon! 8LE
Stay Away from Simon! is written at a Level 3 reading level across 64 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Stay Away from Simon! works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate Stay Away from Simon! as 8LE ("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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Stay Away from Simon! explores family, fear & anxiety, disability representation, friendship, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, fear & anxiety, disability representation.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780899198491
- Pages
- 64
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Published
- March 20, 1989
- Type
- Fiction