The Ghost of Colby Drive
Kristin Groulx
The Ghost of Colby Drive
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kristin Groulx
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
A creak echoes through the old wooden floorboards, mingling with the chilly whisper of the night air. Alyson Bell steps into a town where shadows seem to breathe, and every corner hides secrets waiting to be uncovered. Can she unravel the eerie mystery before the full moon rises, or will the ghostly curse hold her forever?
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows Alyson Bell, a teenage girl navigating a new rural town rumored to be haunted. Blending everyday adolescent challenges with supernatural mysteries, the story explores themes of courage, identity, and friendship. Suitable for ages 13 and up, it contains mild supernatural suspense and typical teen relationship elements.
Why we rated The Ghost of Colby Drive 12LE
The Ghost of Colby Drive is written at a Level 7 reading level across 341 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Ghost of Colby Drive works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The Ghost of Colby Drive as 12LE ("Light — 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 Ghost of Colby Drive explores friendship, coming of age, family, mystery, and fantasy world-building — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781430321583
- Pages
- 341
- Publisher
- Lulu.com
- Published
- July 7, 2007
- Type
- Fiction