Tribes
Arthur G. Slade
Tribes
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Arthur G. Slade
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
Percy sees his school like a strange new world, where everyone belongs to a different tribe—from the Jocks to the Born Again kids. He watches and studies them all with his father’s sharp eyes, trying to understand the rituals that rule their lives. But when secrets and feelings start to surface, everything Percy believed about his world begins to change.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores complex themes such as grief, friendship, and social dynamics in a high school setting. Percy, coping with the loss of his father, uses his observational skills to navigate the cliques and rituals of Grade Twelve, while facing emotional challenges linked to a friend's death. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the book handles sensitive topics like suicide thoughtfully but parents should be aware of these mature themes.
Why we rated Tribes 9IE
Tribes is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 134 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tribes works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Tribes 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: Suicide.
Thematically, Tribes explores friendship, coming of age, family, high schools, and cliques — 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 friendship, 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
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
- 0385730039
- Pages
- 134
- Publisher
- Wendy Lamb
- Published
- 2002
- Type
- Fiction