Black duck

Name: Black duck
Author: Janet Taylor Lisle
ISBN: 9780399239632

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Janet Taylor Lisle

Reading Level 6 MP · Moderate · Physical Ages 9-12 Matched

A Junior Library Guild selection

The text is written at a 6th 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. Its HootRating code, MP, means moderate content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

What if a simple walk along the shore turned into a mystery with danger lurking in every shadow? Ruben and Jed stumble upon a body, and soon they’re tangled in a fierce battle between rival gangs during Prohibition. Can they uncover the truth before it’s too late?

Themes

Adventure HistoricalCrimeFriendship

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows two boys who discover a dead body linked to Prohibition-era smuggling, drawing them into a conflict between gangs. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it offers an engaging adventure with historical context but includes themes of crime and danger. Parents should be aware of mild peril and suspenseful moments typical of juvenile fiction involving gang conflicts.

Why we rated Black duck MP (Moderate)

Black duck is written at a Level 6 reading level across 252 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Black duck on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Black duck as MP (Moderate, mostly physical) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from 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, Black duck explores adventure, historical, crime, 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, historical, crime.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — Black duck carries an award.

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

MP · Moderate · Physical

Emotional

Mild

Physical

Moderate ←

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

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