The way the family got away
Kimball, Michael
The way the family got away
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Kimball, Michael
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
What if your family had to keep moving, not just to a new house, but to a whole new town every time? Imagine carrying both love and loss in your heart as you and your little sister search for a place to belong. But with every goodbye, the question grows: where will you finally find home?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the emotional journey of two young siblings coping with the death of a brother while moving from town to town with their family. It sensitively addresses themes of grief, loss, and resilience appropriate for ages 9-12. Parents should be aware that the story involves the death of an infant and the impact on abandoned children, handled thoughtfully within a fictional context.
Why we rated The way the family got away 9IE
The way the family got away is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 143 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The way the family got away works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The way the family got away as 9IE ("Intense — 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 way the family got away explores family, loss & grief, and coming of age — 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 family, loss & grief, coming of age.
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
9IE — Intense — EmotionalReal 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
- 1568581556
- Pages
- 143
- Publisher
- Thunder's Mouth Press
- Published
- 2000
- Type
- Fiction