What reading level is Charlie and the grandmothers?

Charlie and the grandmothers by Katy Towell is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 790L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Charlie and the grandmothers appropriate for?

Charlie and the grandmothers is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is Charlie and the grandmothers?

Charlie and the grandmothers is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does Charlie and the grandmothers have any content warnings?

Charlie and the grandmothers has a HootRating of 9ME (Moderate — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Charlie and the grandmothers?

Charlie and the grandmothers by Katy Towell is 223 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Charlie and the grandmothers

Katy Towell

Charlie and the grandmothers

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Katy Towell

Reading Level 4-5 9ME Ages 9-12 Matched

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

The air is thick with the scent of old wood and something faintly sweet, but there's a chill that creeps along your skin. Charlie's footsteps echo as he and Georgie cross the creaky floorboards of Grandmother Pearl's house, where shadows twist and whisper secrets. Fear wraps around them like a cold blanket—can Charlie's worry become their greatest strength in this nightmare come alive?

Themes

SupernaturalBrothers and sistersHorror storiesParanormal fictionFearAdventure

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade supernatural horror story follows twelve-year-old Charlie and his sister Georgie as they visit a mysterious grandmother who is far from ordinary. The book explores themes of fear, sibling bonds, and courage in the face of a dark, eerie underworld. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it contains spooky elements and mild peril that may be intense for sensitive readers.

Why we rated Charlie and the grandmothers 9ME

Charlie and the grandmothers is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 790L across 223 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Charlie and the grandmothers works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Charlie and the grandmothers 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, Charlie and the grandmothers explores supernatural, brothers and sisters, horror stories, paranormal fiction, and fear — 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 supernatural, brothers and sisters, horror stories.

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.