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A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children.

Deseret Book Company

Cover of A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children.

A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children.

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

The Classic Book of Virtues for Children

by Deseret Book Company

Reading Level 8 12LT Ages 9-12 Sweet Spot

The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

What if every story you heard could teach you something amazing about being brave, kind, or honest? Imagine diving into tales inspired by real people who show how faith and good deeds can change the world. But what happens when these stories challenge you to live your own with courage?

Themes

Conduct of LifeChristian LifeChildren's StoriesFamilyFriendship

Quick Assessment

This collection offers over 130 short stories aimed at children ages 9 to 12, focusing on virtues like honesty, courage, and kindness through real-life examples. It promotes Christian values and encourages faith and good conduct, suitable for middle-grade readers looking to build character. The stories are gentle and inspiring, making this a thoughtful resource for parents and educators emphasizing moral development.

Why we rated A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children. 12LT

A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children. is written at a Level 8 reading level across 457 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children. works for readers up to grade 10.0.

We rate A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children. as 12LT ("Light — Thematic") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.

Thematically, A story to tell: for teachers, parents, and children. explores conduct of life, christian life, children's stories, family, and friendship — 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 conduct of life, christian life, children's stories.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

12LT — Light — Thematic
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
7
Emotional Weight
2
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

457 pages
ISBN
1590383591
Pages
457
Publisher
Shadow Mountain
Published
2004
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Conduct of LifeChildren's Stories, AmericanChristian LifeShort Stories