Stick
Andrew Smith
Stick
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Andrew Smith
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
What would you do if your family felt more like a battlefield than a home? Stick is just trying to survive, bullied for looking different and hiding a family secret that could change everything. When his brother disappears, Stick faces a journey filled with dangers and hope—will he find him before it's too late?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the challenges faced by a fourteen-year-old boy born with a physical difference and living in an abusive family environment. Themes include bullying, family dysfunction, and LGBTQ+ identity, handled with sensitivity appropriate for readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware of the presence of family abuse and social hardships, which are central to the story's emotional depth.
Why we rated Stick 12IE
Stick is written at a Level 7 reading level across 306 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Stick works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Stick as 12IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. 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: Bullying, Abuse, LGBTQ+ Themes.
Thematically, Stick explores family, bullying, lgbtq+ representation, identity & self-discovery, and survival — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, bullying, lgbtq+ representation.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — 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
12IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" 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
- 9781429995375
- Pages
- 306
- Publisher
- Macmillan + ORM
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction