The Street
Dr. M.J. Price
The Street
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Dr. M.J. Price
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
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 — SocialReal 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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781413743609
- Pages
- 108
- Publisher
- Publishamerica Incorporated
- Published
- October 11, 2004
- Type
- Fiction