The eighth day

Name: The eighth day
Author: Dianne K. Salerni
ISBN: 9780062272157

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Dianne K. Salerni

Eighth Day

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th 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

Thirteen-year-old Jax Aubrey stumbles into a hidden eighth day of the week, where time bends and magic stirs. Alongside his guardian Riley and a mysterious girl named Evangeline, Jax must unravel ancient secrets and confront dark forces threatening both the magical and ordinary worlds. With adventure and suspense around every corner, he faces a race against time to protect his new friends and the fate of humanity.

Themes

FantasyMagicAdventure Friendship Coming of AgeGuardian and Ward

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, emotional: loss & grief. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated The eighth day LE (Mild)

The eighth day is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 309 pages (approximately 64,863 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The eighth day on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, The eighth day runs about 7.2 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The eighth day 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Emotional: Loss & Grief.

Thematically, The eighth day explores fantasy, magic, adventure, 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy, magic, adventure.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 2 more books in the Eighth Day series.

Maybe not for

! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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.