Take back the skies
Lucy Saxon
Take back the skies
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lucy Saxon
The text is written at a 7th 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 if you could sneak aboard a flying ship and discover a hidden world full of danger and secrets? Imagine facing thrilling adventures and a secret romance that could change everything. But can you survive when the skies themselves become a battlefield?
Quick Assessment
Take Back the Skies is a middle-grade adventure novel that blends elements of danger, mystery, and young romance. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers an engaging story about courage and friendship with some suspenseful moments. Parents should note the presence of perilous situations and themes of secret relationships.
Why we rated Take back the skies 12ME
Take back the skies is written at a Level 7 reading level across 378 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Take back the skies works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Take back the skies as 12ME ("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, physical peril — 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, Take back the skies explores adventure, romance, and friendship — 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 adventure, romance, friendship.
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
12ME — 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781619633674
- Pages
- 378
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing USA
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction