Your Defiant Child, Second Edition
Russell Barkley
Your Defiant Child, Second Edition
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Eight Steps to Better Behavior
by Russell Barkley
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
Some kids seem impossible to manage, but what if you could turn defiance into cooperation? This book shows how even the toughest behaviors can change when you know the right tricks. It’s not magic—just smart, proven strategies that really work, and that makes all the difference.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This practical guide by Dr. Russell Barkley offers research-based strategies to manage defiant and oppositional behavior in children aged 5 to 12. It provides clear, step-by-step techniques for parents to reduce power struggles and encourage positive behavior at home, school, and in public. The second edition includes updated research, realistic examples, and helpful resources, making it a valuable tool for parents seeking effective, calm, and consistent approaches.
Why we rated Your Defiant Child, Second Edition 11LE
Your Defiant Child, Second Edition is written at a Level 6 reading level across 272 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Your Defiant Child, Second Edition works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Your Defiant Child, Second Edition 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, Your Defiant Child, Second Edition explores problem children, behavior disorders in children, child rearing, and parenting — 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 problem children, behavior disorders in children, child rearing.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
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
1/10A 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
- 9781462511198
- Pages
- 272
- Publisher
- Guilford Press
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Nonfiction