The mourning breaks
Jan Hindman
The mourning breaks
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
101 "proactive" Treatment Strategies Breaking the Trauma Bonds of Sexual Abuse
by Jan Hindman
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
There's a secret hidden deep inside a young heart, a story too painful to share out loud. It's about finding courage in the darkest moments and learning to heal from hurt that no one should ever face. But that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel sensitively explores the difficult topic of sexual abuse and the journey toward healing and rehabilitation. Intended for readers aged 9-12, it offers thoughtful insight into recovery and counseling for young survivors. Parents should be aware of the mature themes and ensure readiness for such content.
Why we rated The mourning breaks 12IE
The mourning breaks is written at a Level 8 reading level across 642 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The mourning breaks works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate The mourning breaks as 12IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Sexual Abuse.
Thematically, The mourning breaks explores coming of age, family, healing, and emotional recovery — 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 coming of age, family, healing.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 0961103450
- Pages
- 642
- Publisher
- Alexandria Assoc
- Published
- 1991
- Type
- Fiction