- No significant mature content
- Light fantasy violence, adventure, or mild peril
- No explicit language or sexual content
- Themes: friendship, family, overcoming obstacles
Examples: Charlotte's Web, Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter (early books)
- Generally safe for young readers but may include heavier emotional or thematic elements
- No explicit sex, graphic violence, or strong profanity
- May contain:
- Difficult life topics: Death, trauma, grief, moving, divorce
- Mildly mature themes: Bullying, harassment, mental health, self-discovery, religious/spiritual exploration
- Mild substance references: Underage drinking, drug use in a cautionary context
Examples: Bridge to Terabithia, Wonder, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter (later books)
- Not suitable for young children but appropriate for teens and post-high school/college readers
- May contain:
- Moderate violence: War, death, physical fights
- Romance & Sexuality: Kissing, implied sex, fade-to-black intimacy
- Stronger themes: Addiction, mental health struggles, exploitation, language
- LGBTQ+ exploration, identity themes
- No graphic sexual content or extreme violence
Examples: The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- High-level intellectual themes, heavy violence, explicit sex, or deeply disturbing content
- May include:
- Sophisticated non-fiction covering sensitive historical, societal, or technological topics (e.g., systemic oppression, advanced bioethics, or the ethics of warfare)
- Graphic violence & torture
- Explicit sex scenes (beyond fade-to-black)
- Heavy drug use, abuse, exploitation
- Psychological horror, extreme mental health themes
Examples: The 1619 Project, Sapiens, Zodiac Academy, Fifty Shades of Grey, Game of Thrones