The summer of moonlight secrets
Danette Haworth
The summer of moonlight secrets
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Danette Haworth
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The salty breeze carries whispers of secrets through the swaying palm trees at the old Florida hotel. Allie Jo’s summer takes a surprising turn when she hears footsteps behind the creaky porch and meets Chase, a boy with his own mysteries. Together, they uncover a hidden teenager whose story will change everything.
Quick Assessment
Set in the summer of 1988, this middle-grade novel follows Allie Jo, who spends her vacation at her family’s historic Florida hotel. She befriends Chase, a guest staying with his father, and they uncover a secret teenager hiding on the property. The story explores themes of friendship, family, and mystery, suitable for ages 9-12 with no intense content concerns.
Why we rated The summer of moonlight secrets 11C
The summer of moonlight secrets is written at a Level 6 reading level across 273 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The summer of moonlight secrets works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The summer of moonlight secrets as 11C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, The summer of moonlight secrets explores friendship, family, mystery, adventure, and fantasy world-building — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780545337922
- Pages
- 273
- Publisher
- Scholastic, Inc.
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction