An outlaw Thanksgiving
Emily Arnold McCully
An outlaw Thanksgiving
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Emily Arnold McCully
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
A young girl and her mother journey west by train in 1896 and find themselves having a surprising Thanksgiving meal with the famous outlaw, Butch Cassidy. Adventures unfold as history and holiday spirit come together on the rails. It's a unique tale of unexpected friendship and celebration.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 3-4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 5-8.
Why we rated An outlaw Thanksgiving 8C
An outlaw Thanksgiving is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 48 pages (approximately 1,822 words). Strong independent readers around grade 4.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, An outlaw Thanksgiving works for readers up to grade 5.6.
Read aloud, An outlaw Thanksgiving takes about 12 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.
We rate An outlaw Thanksgiving as 8C ("Clear") 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, An outlaw Thanksgiving explores historical, adventure, family, friendship, and thanksgiving day — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, adventure, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
6/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Thanksgiving feast
Quinlan B. Lee
Thanksgiving feast
Quinlan B. Lee
Thanksgiving on Thursday
Mary Pope Osborne
Thanksgiving on Thursday
Mary Pope Osborne
An Outlaw Thanksgiving
Emily Arnold McCully
An Outlaw Thanksgiving
Emily Arnold McCully
Thanksgiving feast
Quinlan B. Lee
Thanksgiving feast
Quinlan B. Lee
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Tim Cooke
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Tim Cooke
An Old-fashioned Thanksgiving
Louisa May Alcott
An Old-fashioned Thanksgiving
Louisa May Alcott
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0803721978
- Pages
- 48
- Publisher
- Dial Books
- Published
- 1998
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 1,822
- Read-Aloud
- ~12 min
- Text Density
- Picture-Heavy