The girl on the beach
Anne Holden
The girl on the beach
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Anne Holden
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
There’s a girl on the beach who nobody really knows—except Christina. When Christina lets her stay at her house, she doesn’t realize she’s stepping into a secret world far bigger than she imagined. But that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction follows Christina Boyd as she becomes unintentionally involved in a drug smuggling scheme after offering shelter to a mysterious girl she met on the beach. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of trust and unexpected danger, with some mild suspense and references to crime. Parents should note the presence of drug smuggling as a plot element but it is handled with age-appropriate sensitivity.
Why we rated The girl on the beach 11LE
The girl on the beach is written at a Level 6 reading level across 220 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The girl on the beach works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The girl on the beach as 11LE ("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 girl on the beach explores friendship, adventure, and mystery — 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 friendship, adventure, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — 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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0440030978
- Pages
- 220
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- 1973
- Type
- Fiction