Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis

H. Irving Hancock

Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by H. Irving Hancock

Reading Level 4-5 9C 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 gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

Dave Darrin steps quietly into his room, ready to share an exciting new novel with his friend—only to find the room empty. The academy is buzzing with a rare free evening, but where could Danny boy be? Suddenly, a mysterious sound echoes down the hall, pulling Dave into an adventure he didn’t expect.

Themes

Friendship Adventure HistoricalUnited States Naval Academy

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction follows Dave Darrin, a first-class midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, navigating the challenges and camaraderie of academy life during his fourth year. The story captures themes of friendship, responsibility, and the discipline of military school life, suitable for ages 9 to 12. The book contains no intense content, making it appropriate for young readers interested in historical and military settings.

Why we rated Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis 9C

Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 102 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis 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, Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis explores friendship, adventure, historical, and united states naval academy — 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, historical.

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 — 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

Emotional Weight

Theme Richness

World Scope

Data Confidence

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