Stealing Parker
Miranda Kenneally
Stealing Parker
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Miranda Kenneally
The text is written at a 6th 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
What would you do if one moment your life was perfect, and the next everyone stopped talking to you? Parker Shelton was the star softball player and top student, but when her mom's secret turns the town against her, everything changes. Can Parker find a new way to be herself, or will she lose who she really is?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Stealing Parker follows a middle school girl grappling with social rejection after her mother's scandal shakes their community. The story explores themes of identity, peer pressure, and self-discovery as Parker navigates adolescence and makes risky choices. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the book deals with emotional challenges but contains no graphic content.
Why we rated Stealing Parker 11ME
Stealing Parker is written at a Level 6 reading level across 251 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Stealing Parker works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Stealing Parker as 11ME ("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 — 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, Stealing Parker explores friendship, coming of age, family, sports, and adolescence — 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 friendship, coming of age, family.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A 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
- 9781283598453
- Pages
- 251
- Publisher
- Sourcebooks, Inc.
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction