White Peak Farm
Berlie Doherty
White Peak Farm
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Berlie Doherty
The text is written at a 4th 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
What happens when everything you know starts to change? Jeannie lives on a quiet farm in Derbyshire, but soon, her family's world is turned upside down by powerful and dangerous events. Can they hold on to each other when the storm hits?
Themes
Quick Assessment
White Peak Farm follows teenage Jeannie as she navigates the challenges and changes affecting her family on their remote Derbyshire farm. Suitable for ages 13 to 18, this young adult novel explores themes of family bonds, resilience, and rural life, with some intense moments reflecting the struggles they face. Parents should note the presence of emotional and physical challenges tied to family and environmental upheaval.
Why we rated White Peak Farm 9ME
White Peak Farm is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, White Peak Farm works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate White Peak Farm 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, physical peril — 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, White Peak Farm explores family, farm life, coming of age, and rural setting — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, farm life, coming of age.
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
- 9780688118648
- Pages
- 112
- Publisher
- Beech Tree Books
- Published
- October 1993
- Type
- Fiction