The graves are walking

John Kelly

Cover of The graves are walking

The graves are walking

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People

by John Kelly

Reading Level 7 Moderate (Lvl 3) Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 a tiny potato causes a huge disaster? Imagine a land where crops fail and families face hunger like never before. How will they survive when everything they know is changing?

Themes

Emigration and immigrationMigrationsFaminesHistory

Quick Assessment

This historical fiction explores the Great Irish Potato Famine through a poetic narrative suitable for middle-grade readers. It addresses themes of emigration, migration, and hardship during this tragic period in history. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it provides an accessible yet thoughtful introduction to a difficult topic without graphic content.

For Parents

Content Intensity

Level 3 — Moderate
Gentle Mild Moderate Intense Very Intense

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Content Flags

Loss & Grief Poverty & Hardship
Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

5/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
9
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

397 pages
ISBN
9780805091847
Pages
397
Publisher
Macmillan
Published
2012
Type
Nonfiction

Genres

Subjects

Emigration and ImmigrationMigrationsFaminesIrishIreland, History, Famine, 1845-1852Ireland, Emigration and Immigration

Places

IrishIreland