A dangerous promise
Joan Lowery Nixon
A dangerous promise
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Joan Lowery Nixon
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
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind and live through the chaos of war? Twelve-year-old Mike and his friend Todd find themselves caught in the middle of the Civil War, joining the Union army as musicians. Can they survive the dangers that lie ahead and keep their promise to each other?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set during the Civil War, this historical fiction follows twelve-year-old Mike Kelly and his friend Todd as they are taken in by a Kansas family and join the Union army as musicians. The story provides a vivid portrayal of war's harsh realities suitable for middle-grade readers, with themes of friendship, courage, and resilience. Parents should note it includes depictions of war violence and its emotional impact but handles these with sensitivity appropriate for ages 9-12.
Why we rated A dangerous promise 9ME
A dangerous promise is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 148 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A dangerous promise works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate A dangerous promise 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 — 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 dangerous promise explores foster care, historical, war & conflict, friendship, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about foster care, historical, war & conflict.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385320733
- Pages
- 148
- Publisher
- Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1994-10
- Type
- Fiction