Still a dad
Serge Prengel
Still a dad
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Divorced Father's Journey
by Serge Prengel
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
Here’s a secret: even when dads don’t live in the same house, they’re still super important. Imagine what it feels like to be a dad trying to stay close, even when things change a lot — but that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Still a Dad offers an insightful and compassionate look into the experiences of divorced fathers, combining personal stories with psychological and social perspectives. It is suitable for middle-grade readers (ages 9-12) and gently explores themes of family change and custody with a hopeful tone and practical advice. Parents should know it addresses sensitive family dynamics in an age-appropriate way.
Why we rated Still a dad 11ME
Still a dad is written at a Level 6 reading level across 223 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Still a dad works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Still a dad 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, Still a dad explores divorce & family change, father and child, custody, family, and coming of age — 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 divorce & family change, father and child, custody.
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
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
- 1892482002
- Pages
- 223
- Publisher
- Mission Creative Energy (NY)
- Published
- 1999
- Type
- Fiction