The way the family got away
Michael Kimball
The way the family got away
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Michael Kimball
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 leave everything behind and carry a secret no one else could see? Imagine packing up your car, hiding your brother's body in a toy box, and driving away to find a new home. How far would you go to keep your family together when everything feels lost?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the journey of a family coping with the death of a child while facing homelessness. Told through the eyes of the surviving children, it sensitively addresses themes of loss, grief, and resilience. Suitable for ages 9-12, parents should be aware of the mature subject of death and family hardship presented in a thoughtful, age-appropriate manner.
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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Death, Homelessness.
Thematically, The way the family got away explores family, loss & grief, resilience, homelessness, 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, resilience.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! 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.
Content Flags
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
- 9781841152097
- Pages
- 143
- Publisher
- Fourth Estate
- Published
- 2001
- Type
- Fiction