The snow
Caroline B. Cooney
The snow
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Caroline B. Cooney
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Christina faces off against a cruel principal and his ruthless wife who have already hurt her friend Anya and now threaten her friend Dolly. With courage and determination, she refuses to let their cruelty continue unchecked. This tense story explores the challenges of standing up to injustice in a school setting.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include bullying, emotional: fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated The snow 9ME
The snow is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 201 pages (approximately 42,278 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.9 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The snow works for readers up to grade 6.9.
Read aloud, The snow runs about 4.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The snow as 9ME ("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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, Emotional: Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, The snow explores coming of age, school life, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, school life, social justice.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Losing Christina series.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
More in the Losing Christina Series
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Snow day!
Courtney Carbone
Snow day!
Courtney Carbone
Snow day!
Lester L. Laminack
Snow day!
Lester L. Laminack
Snow Day
Corinne Demas Bliss
Snow Day
Corinne Demas Bliss
The Snow Queen
Amy Ehrlich
The Snow Queen
Amy Ehrlich
Snow Queen
Chris Baker, Hans Christian Anderson
Snow Queen
Chris Baker, Hans Christian Anderson
Snow
Nicole Lea Helget
Snow
Nicole Lea Helget
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0590416405
- Pages
- 201
- Publisher
- Point
- Published
- 1990
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 42,278
- Read-Aloud
- ~4h 42m
- Text Density
- Standard