Clockwork, or All wound up

Name: Clockwork, or All wound up
Author: Philip Pullman
ISBN: 9780590129985

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Philip Pullman

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The gears turn and tick as the apprentice hurries through the dark workshop, shadows flickering on the walls. Suddenly, a lifelike figure stirs, its eyes glowing eerily in the dim light. What secrets will this strange creation reveal before time runs out?

Themes

SupernaturalAdventureStorytellingFantasy

Quick Assessment

Set in old Germany, this middle-grade fiction blends supernatural elements with a gripping tale of a storyteller and a clockmaker’s apprentice. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of creativity and fear through an eerie, animated figure crafted by Dr. Kalmenius. Parents should note the presence of mild suspense and supernatural menace appropriate for this age group.

Why we rated Clockwork, or All wound up LE (Mild)

Clockwork, or All wound up is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Clockwork, or All wound up on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Clockwork, or All wound up as LE (Mild, mostly 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, Clockwork, or All wound up explores supernatural, adventure, storytelling, and fantasy — 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 supernatural, adventure, storytelling.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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