Digging For Philip
Greg Jackson-Davis
Digging For Philip
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Greg Jackson-Davis
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
What if a simple summer adventure turned into a mission to right the wrongs of the past? Fourteen-year-old Philip unearths a mysterious mound that awakens an ancient Native spirit with a powerful story to tell. Can Philip help bring peace to a history filled with pain before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows 14-year-old Philip as he encounters Tikumiwaewidung, an Anishinaabe spirit awakened by the discovery of a burial mound near his summer home. The story explores themes of history, cultural respect, and the consequences of colonization, making it suitable for ages 9-12 with mature themes best suited for upper middle grade readers. Parents should note the book touches on Native American history and cultural tensions, but in a thoughtful, fictional context.
Why we rated Digging For Philip 11ME
Digging For Philip is written at a Level 6 reading level across 248 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Digging For Philip works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Digging For Philip 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, social complexity, 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, Digging For Philip explores juvenile fiction, native american, people & places, adventure, and cultural history — 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 juvenile fiction, native american, people & places.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781894283427
- Pages
- 248
- Publisher
- Great Plains Pub.
- Published
- 2003
- Type
- Fiction