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The Street

Dr. M.J. Price

Cover of The Street

The Street

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Dr. M.J. Price

Reading Level 4-5 9MS Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 4th 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

The city council just announced they’re renaming Main Street after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but not everyone is happy. Voices rise, signs go up, and friendships are tested as the town debates what honoring a hero really means. Suddenly, a secret about the street’s past comes to light—what will it change?

Themes

FriendshipFamilySocial JusticeResponsible LeadershipRacial HarmonyJournalism

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel explores themes of friendship, family loyalty, and race relations through a community's debate over renaming a street after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It encourages social awareness, critical thinking, and respect for responsible leadership. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story thoughtfully addresses complex social issues without graphic content.

Why we rated The Street 9MS

The Street is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 108 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Street works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The Street as 9MS ("Moderate — Social") 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, 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 Street explores friendship, family, social justice, responsible leadership, and racial harmony — 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.
  • Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
  • Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, social justice.

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

9MS — Moderate — Social
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Clear
Social
Moderate
Thematic
Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

4/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

108 pages
ISBN
9781413743609
Pages
108
Publisher
Publishamerica Incorporated
Published
October 11, 2004
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

General & Literary Fiction