The contest
Caroline Stellings
The contest
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Caroline Stellings
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Have you ever dreamed of stepping into the shoes of your favorite storybook character? Rosy, an eleven-year-old girl from Hamilton, Ontario, enters a contest to look just like Anne of Green Gables, hoping to win a treasured set of books. But what will she discover about friendship and herself along the way?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Rosy, a young girl from a low-income background, as she enters an Anne of Green Gables look-alike contest to win a collection of books. The story explores themes of friendship, identity, and overcoming challenges, suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents can expect gentle themes involving poverty and personal growth without any intense content.
Why we rated The contest 9C
The contest is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 123 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The contest works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The contest as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Poverty.
Thematically, The contest explores contests, friendship, books and reading, poverty, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about contests, friendship, books and reading.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Content Flags
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Anne of Green Gables
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Contest
Michèle Dufresne
Contest
Michèle Dufresne
Little Miss Stoneybrook and Dawn
Ann M. Martin
Little Miss Stoneybrook and Dawn
Ann M. Martin
And the Winner Is
Cherie Bennett
And the Winner Is
Cherie Bennett
Beauty queens
L. E. Blair
Beauty queens
L. E. Blair
Twenty Pageants Later
Caroline B. Cooney
Twenty Pageants Later
Caroline B. Cooney
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780977918355
- Pages
- 123
- Publisher
- 7th Generation
- Published
- 2009
- Type
- Fiction