Touch wood
Renée Roth-Hano
Touch wood
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Girlhood in Occupied France
by Renée Roth-Hano
The text is written at a 6th 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
The sharp scent of smoke fills the air, and the clatter of hurried footsteps echoes down narrow streets. Renee and her family must leave everything behind to stay safe in a world turned upside down. Hiding in a quiet school far from home, Renee’s courage shines even in the darkest times.
Quick Assessment
This autobiographical novel follows Renee, a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France, as she and her family navigate the dangers of war and seek refuge. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story sensitively portrays historical events with themes of resilience and hope, without graphic violence. Parents should note the historical context of the Holocaust and the emotional challenges faced by the characters.
Why we rated Touch wood 11IE
Touch wood is written at a Level 6 reading level across 297 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Touch wood works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Touch wood as 11IE ("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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Touch wood explores historical, coming of age, family, survival, and multicultural — 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 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 historical, coming of age, family.
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
11IE — 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
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0140340858
- Pages
- 297
- Publisher
- Puffin Books
- Published
- 1989
- Type
- Fiction