[Lesgo]

Please consider that AR reading levels have absolutely NOTHING to do with maturity or age appropriateness. They are simply based upon reading skill and expected vocabulary capability for a particular grade level. Obviously, one fifth-grader can have a completely different maturity level than another. A book level is only a guide to if your child can READ the book without getting hopelessly bogged down and confused if the level is too high, or bored if the level is too low. It would be ridiculous for you to think a child at a standard fifth-grade level of 5.5 would be captivated by a book written at the first-grade level, now wouldn't it? Deciding what book content and concepts are appropriate for your child's maturity level is YOUR job. It is called "PARENTING." Just like you make the decision about your child seeing an R-rated movie, you get to decide what your child can read. I am lucky that my child attends a small local school, and the librarian gives me a call if she thinks a book has inappropriate content for my 5th grader. She reads at a 10th-grade level, so she is capable of reading books above her maturity level; I just don't allow her to.