Turned away
Carol Matas
Turned away
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The World War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein
by Carol Matas
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 would you do if your best friend was trapped far away in a dangerous place? Eleven-year-old Devorah receives letters from her cousin Sarah, who is hiding in Nazi-occupied Paris. With thousands of children like Sarah waiting for a safe home, will anyone listen before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Turned Away is a historically grounded middle-grade novel focusing on the plight of Jewish children during World War II and Canada's restrictive immigration policies. Through a mix of diary-fiction and real historical documents, it sensitively portrays the challenges faced by families separated by war and the impact on Canadian communities. Appropriate for readers ages 9 to 12, the book provides educational value while addressing complex themes of war, immigration, and moral responsibility.
Why we rated Turned away 9ME
Turned away is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 199 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Turned away works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Turned away as 9ME ("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, 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, Turned away explores world war, jewish children in the holocaust, diary fiction, immigration history, and family — 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 world war, jewish children in the holocaust, diary fiction.
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
9ME — Moderate — 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
- 0439969468
- Pages
- 199
- Publisher
- Markham, ON : Scholastic Canada
- Published
- 2005
- Type
- Fiction