The girls from the five great valleys
Elizabeth Savage
The girls from the five great valleys
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Elizabeth Savage
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What happens when five girls from different worlds come together in a small Montana town? Each has a dream and a secret, but as they chase their goals, the path they thought was clear starts to twist in unexpected ways. Who will rise, who will fall, and what will fate have in store?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows five teenage girls in Missoula, Montana, each facing personal challenges and complex family dynamics as they navigate friendship and social pressures. Themes of ambition, identity, and coping with difficult home lives are explored in an age-appropriate way for readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware of some emotional intensity related to family struggles and social conflict.
Why we rated The girls from the five great valleys 12ME
The girls from the five great valleys is written at a Level 7 reading level across 369 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The girls from the five great valleys works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The girls from the five great valleys as 12ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, The girls from the five great valleys explores friendship, family, 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0816164827
- Pages
- 369
- Publisher
- Macmillan Reference USA
- Published
- 1977
- Type
- Fiction