A Lion to Guard Us
Clyde Robert Bulla
A Lion to Guard Us
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Clyde Robert Bulla
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
These three kids are braver than anyone else in seventeenth-century London. Alone and facing tough times, they must protect each other like fierce lions. Their journey to the Virginia colony will change everything they know about family and courage.
Quick Assessment
Set in seventeenth-century London and colonial America, this historical fiction follows three siblings who embark on a perilous journey to find their father. The story explores themes of family loyalty, survival, and resilience, making it suitable for middle-grade readers around ages 9-12. Parents should know the book touches on historical hardships but handles them in an age-appropriate and hopeful way.
Why we rated A Lion to Guard Us 9LE
A Lion to Guard Us is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 117 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A Lion to Guard Us works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate A Lion to Guard Us as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, A Lion to Guard Us explores family, historical, adventure, and survival — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, historical, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780064403337
- Pages
- 117
- Publisher
- Harper Collins
- Published
- October 20, 1989
- Type
- Fiction