Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina)
Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig
Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig
Illustrated by Helen Craig
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The soft rustle of silk and the sparkle of twinkling lights fill the grand hall. Angelina and Alice can smell the sweet scent of cake and hear the murmur of grown-up voices. They’re dressed up just like adults, but will their secret stay safe at the costume ball?
Quick Assessment
Angelina and Alice, two young mice, sneak away from their babysitter to attend an adults-only costume ball by dressing up as grown-ups. This charming story is suitable for children ages 9 to 12 and explores themes of adventure and friendship with light-hearted mischief. The book contains no mature content and is appropriate for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina) 9C
Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina) works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina) as 9C ("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, Costume Ball (Angelina Ballerina) explores friendship, adventure, and family — 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 friendship, adventure, family.
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
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
- ISBN
- 9780613705905
- Publisher
- Turtleback
- Published
- August 2002
- Type
- Fiction