Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
These is My Words
Nancy Turner
These is My Words
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Nancy Turner
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Step into the challenging life of a determined pioneer woman navigating the hardships and adventures of territorial Arizona. Through her heartfelt diary entries, experience the courage, resilience, and spirit needed to survive and thrive in a rugged new world.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include loss & grief, physical danger, poverty & hardship. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated These is My Words 10ME
These is My Words is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 400 pages (approximately 147,672 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, These is My Words works for readers up to grade 7.6.
Read aloud, These is My Words runs about 16.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate These is My Words as 10ME ("Moderate — 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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Loss & Grief, Physical Danger, Poverty & Hardship.
Thematically, These is My Words explores coming of age, historical, family, survival, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, historical, family.
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
10ME — Moderate — 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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
7/10Rich themes that spark meaningful family conversation. Great for book clubs and read-alouds.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0060987510
- Pages
- 400
- Publisher
- Harper Collins
- Published
- March 1, 1999
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 147,672
- Read-Aloud
- ~16h 24m
- Text Density
- Very Dense
- Era
- Modern Classic (1998)