Written in stone

Name: Written in stone
Author: Rosanne Parry
ISBN: 9780375869716

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Rosanne Parry

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

This is the story of a girl who carries the weight of history on her shoulders — her tribe’s traditions are slipping away, and her father is gone. But her courage to hold onto the past might change everything. What will she do when the old ways are almost forgotten?

Themes

Multicultural Coming of Age FamilyHistoryOrphans

Quick Assessment

Set in the 1920s Pacific Northwest, this middle-grade novel follows a young Makah girl navigating the loss of her father and the challenges facing her tribe’s traditions. It sensitively explores themes of cultural heritage, grief, and resilience, making it suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note it provides historical insight into Native American life with emotional depth but without graphic content.

Why we rated Written in stone LE (Mild)

Written in stone is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 210 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Written in stone on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Written in stone as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — 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 mild intensity score.

Thematically, Written in stone explores multicultural, coming of age, family, history, and orphans — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about multicultural, coming of age, family.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?