Dark passage

Name: Dark passage
Author: Ridley Pearson
ISBN: 9781423165231

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Dark Passage

by Ridley Pearson

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 5-8 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), 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 Kingdom Keepers race through the bustling cruise ship, clutching a stolen journal that holds a secret no one else knows. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appears—Maleficent is closer than ever. Can they solve the puzzle before it's too late?

Themes

Adventure Fantasy World-Building FriendshipGood and EvilMystery

Quick Assessment

This early reader adventure follows five friends known as the Kingdom Keepers as they uncover a dangerous plot by Disney villains aboard a cruise ship traveling through the Panama Canal. The story weaves in fantasy elements, teamwork, and problem-solving across exciting locations like caves and jungles. Suitable for ages 5-8, it contains mild fantasy peril appropriate for young readers.

Why we rated Dark passage LE (Mild)

Dark passage is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 437 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Dark passage on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Dark passage 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, Dark passage explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, good and evil, and mystery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship.

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

Mild

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: high

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