The Icarus show
Sally Christie
The Icarus show
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sally Christie
The text is written at a 6th 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 standing still feels safer than fighting back? Two boys—one who ignores the bullies and one who reacts—find themselves connected by a strange note. Can their unlikely friendship unlock secrets about courage and loneliness?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of bullying, friendship, and emotional resilience through the experiences of two boys with different responses to being bullied. Suitable for ages 9 to 12, it sensitively addresses social challenges without graphic content, making it a thoughtful read for children navigating peer relationships.
Why we rated The Icarus show 11ME
The Icarus show is written at a Level 6 reading level across 217 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Icarus show works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Icarus show as 11ME ("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 Icarus show explores bullying, friendship, boys, and juvenile fiction — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about bullying, friendship, boys.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781338081619
- Pages
- 217
- Publisher
- David Fickling Books
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction