The passion
Lisa Jane Smith
The passion
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lisa Jane Smith
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
Kaitlyn and her psychic friends run through the dark halls, hearts pounding as Mr. Zetes closes in. Suddenly, Gabriel, once their ally, turns against them, his eyes cold and determined. Kait won't let him stay lost to the darkness—but what dangers await her inside the Institute?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade paranormal fiction follows Kaitlyn and her friends as they face betrayal and dark forces within a mysterious Institute. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story includes themes of friendship, loyalty, and supernatural challenges, with some suspenseful and eerie moments that may be intense for sensitive readers.
Why we rated The passion 11ME
The passion is written at a Level 6 reading level across 211 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The passion works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The passion 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, thematic difficulty — 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 passion explores friendship, adventure, paranormal, supernatural, and loyalty — 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 friendship, adventure, paranormal.
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
2/10A 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
- 9780671874568
- Pages
- 211
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 1995
- Type
- Fiction