December Rose
Leon Garfield
December Rose
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Leon Garfield
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Imagine hearing secrets whispered up a chimney and finding a golden locket with a broken chain. Suddenly, young Barnacle is caught in a dangerous mystery filled with spies and shadows in Victorian London—but that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
December Rose is a middle-grade mystery set in Victorian London, following a young boy named Barnacle as he uncovers secrets involving espionage and murder. The story contains suspenseful moments suitable for ages 9-12 and offers an engaging introduction to historical settings and detective themes without graphic content.
Why we rated December Rose 11ME
December Rose is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, December Rose works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate December Rose as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, December Rose explores mystery, historical, adventure, and friendship — 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 mystery, historical, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781782950721
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Red Fox
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction