The sun is up
William Jay Smith
The sun is up
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Child's Year of Poems
by William Jay Smith
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
What if every month of the year had a secret story just waiting for you? Imagine stepping into a world where each poem brings the seasons to life, from sparkling snowflakes to sunny days. But can you guess what surprises the next month will hold?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This gentle collection of poems guides young readers through the months of the year, capturing the changing seasons and simple joys of each time. Written for early readers ages 5 to 8, the poems use accessible language and vivid imagery to support literacy and seasonal awareness. There is no challenging content, making it appropriate for young children and classroom use.
Why we rated The sun is up 7C
The sun is up is written at a Level 2 reading level across 31 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The sun is up works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate The sun is up as 7C ("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 sun is up explores children's poetry, months, seasonal change, and early literacy — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about children's poetry, months, seasonal change.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9781563970290
- Pages
- 31
- Publisher
- Wordsong
- Published
- 1996
- Type
- Fiction