My daughter had to read "Kathleen, Please Come Home" for her English class, and it definitely sparked some interesting conversations. It's about a girl named Kathleen who runs away to Baja California after her mother accidentally causes the death of Kathleen's boyfriend. She goes with her friend, and things get pretty complicated down there. It's not a light and fluffy story, that's for sure, but it deals with some real issues that a lot of kids are thinking about, like family conflict and figuring out who you are.
She actually seemed to get into it, which surprised me since she usually groans about assigned reading. She said it was kind of depressing, but she wanted to know what was going to happen to Kathleen. There weren't any illustrations, so it's all text. The writing itself is pretty straightforward. It wasn't something she had to struggle through. The story moves along at a good pace, and she finished it in a few days. I think the length was perfect for her. It kept her attention without feeling like a huge commitment.
I checked out the AR information for her. It's listed as level 4.4 and worth 6.0 points. I know she needed a few points to reach her goal, so this helped a lot. It's also marked for Upper Grades, and I think that's about right. Younger middle schoolers might not quite grasp the themes of the book or be ready for some of the content.
This one is definitely for older teens who are ready for a more mature read. It's not a feel-good story, so if your kid is sensitive to sad or heavy topics, you might want to read it first or skip it. It's good for sparking discussions about tough topics like immigration, relationships, and personal responsibility. If your teen likes realistic fiction that deals with serious issues, then "Kathleen, Please Come Home" is worth considering.