The snow
Caroline B. Cooney
The snow
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Caroline B. Cooney
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
Christina is braver than anyone thinks, standing up to the meanest principal and his fierce wife who have already hurt her friend Anya. She faces dangers that could change everything, but her courage might just be the key to saving her friends. What will happen when one person dares to fight back against so much power?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction explores themes of courage and standing up against unfair authority, as Christina confronts a harsh principal and his spouse who threaten her and her friends. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story includes some tense moments involving school conflict but is appropriate for readers in this age group. Parents should note the depiction of challenging adult figures and the focus on student resilience.
Why we rated The snow 11ME
The snow is written at a Level 6 reading level across 201 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The snow works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The snow 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, social complexity — 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 snow explores friendship, school life, courage, and authority conflict — 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, school life, courage.
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
- 9780590416405
- Pages
- 201
- Publisher
- Point
- Published
- 1990
- Type
- Fiction