A clear road to Archangel
Geoffrey Rose
A clear road to Archangel
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Story of 1917
by Geoffrey Rose
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Bullets whistle past as the spy dashes through the biting cold snow, heart pounding and breath freezing. Wolves howl nearby, and the shadowy Captain S is closing in after a daring escape. Can he reach the northern port before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set during the Russian Revolution of 1917, this middle-grade thriller follows a young British spy navigating dangerous terrain and hostile forces while trying to reach safety. With themes of suspense and survival, it offers an intense but age-appropriate adventure for readers aged 9-12. Parents should note the presence of peril and tense moments but no graphic violence.
Why we rated A clear road to Archangel 9ME
A clear road to Archangel is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 187 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A clear road to Archangel works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate A clear road to Archangel as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, thematic difficulty — 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 moderate intensity score.
Thematically, A clear road to Archangel explores mystery, thriller, suspense, adventure, and historical — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, thriller, suspense.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0333145801
- Pages
- 187
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Published
- 1973
- Type
- Fiction