While you were gone
Amy K. Nichols
While you were gone
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Amy K. Nichols
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if a tear in the fabric of the universe could change everything you thought was real? Eevee, the governor’s daughter with a paintbrush full of dreams, and Danny, a foster kid with a past, discover a rip between parallel worlds. Can they fix it before their realities collapse into chaos?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade science fiction novel follows Eevee, a young artist and daughter of Arizona's governor, and Danny, a foster child with a troubled past, as they work together to mend a breach between parallel universes. The story explores themes of identity and belonging within an imaginative space-time adventure suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the presence of characters with complex backgrounds but no intense content warnings.
Why we rated While you were gone 11LE
While you were gone is written at a Level 6 reading level across 299 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, While you were gone works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate While you were gone as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, While you were gone explores science & nature, adventure, identity & self-discovery, and friendship — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about science & nature, adventure, identity & self-discovery.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385753920
- Pages
- 299
- Publisher
- Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction