The Swallow

Name: The Swallow
Author: Charis Cotter
ISBN: 9781770495913

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Ghost Story

by Charis Cotter

Reading Level 7 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

Book Award: CLA Book of the Year for Children Finalist

The text is written at a 7th 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The creak of old floorboards echoes through the attic where Polly hides, smelling of dust and forgotten secrets. Upstairs, Rose whispers to shadows only she can see, while the wind outside carries ghostly tales. When two lonely neighbors discover a hidden tombstone with Rose’s name, everything changes—and the line between living and ghostly blurs.

Themes

FriendshipGhost storiesHaunted housesJuvenile fictionGirlsComing of Age

Quick Assessment

Set in 1960s Toronto, this middle-grade novel explores themes of friendship, loneliness, and the supernatural through the story of two girls who share a mysterious connection. The story includes mild spooky elements and ghostly encounters but remains appropriate for ages 9-12. Parents should be aware of some suspenseful moments and themes of isolation and identity.

Why we rated The Swallow ME (Moderate)

The Swallow is written at a Level 7 reading level across 318 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 8 and up can manage The Swallow on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The Swallow as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, 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 Swallow explores friendship, ghost stories, haunted houses, juvenile fiction, and girls — 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, ghost stories, haunted houses.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — The Swallow carries an award.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Mild

Thematic

Moderate

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

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?