The candidates

Name: The candidates
Author: Inara Scott
ISBN: 9781423116363

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Inara Scott

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Dancia Lewis has a power that’s more trouble than help—when danger strikes, things break and people get hurt! She tries to stay invisible, but a fancy school’s invitation might change everything. Can she control her wild abilities before everything falls apart?

Themes

Psychic abilityBoarding schoolsSecretsFriendship Coming of Age Fantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Dancia Lewis, a girl with uncontrollable telekinetic powers, as she navigates her fears and a new scholarship at an elite boarding school. The story explores themes of self-control, friendship, and belonging with a paranormal twist, suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should note mild peril and some emotional tension related to Dancia’s powers and school challenges.

Why we rated The candidates LE (Mild)

The candidates is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 293 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The candidates on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The candidates as LE (Mild, mostly 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, The candidates explores psychic ability, boarding schools, secrets, 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 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about psychic ability, boarding schools, secrets.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?