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Daisy and the trouble with maggots

Kes Gray

Cover of Daisy and the trouble with maggots

Daisy and the trouble with maggots

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Kes Gray

Reading Level 6 11C Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th 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

Daisy is the most curious fisher you've ever met — she believes water witches can turn fishermen into dog poos! When her uncle takes her on a fishing trip, everything she thought she knew gets flipped upside down, and the adventure is just getting started.

Themes

FriendshipFamilyImaginationAdventureFishing

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction follows Daisy, a lively and imaginative girl, on a fishing trip with her uncle. The story combines humor and fantasy elements to engage readers aged 9-12, encouraging curiosity and creative thinking. It’s a lighthearted read with no concerning content, suitable for young readers who enjoy fun adventures and playful storytelling.

Why we rated Daisy and the trouble with maggots 11C

Daisy and the trouble with maggots is written at a Level 6 reading level across 226 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Daisy and the trouble with maggots works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Daisy and the trouble with maggots as 11C ("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, Daisy and the trouble with maggots explores friendship, family, imagination, adventure, and fishing — 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, family, imagination.

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

11C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
2
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

226 pages
ISBN
9781862308466
Pages
226
Publisher
Red Fox
Published
2010
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

DaisyFishingUnclesImaginationFishing Stories