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Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The
E. Lockhart
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by E. Lockhart
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for older middle graders (ages 11+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Frankie Landau-Banks starts out as a quiet, bookish girl but soon transforms into a clever and daring mastermind, shaking up her elite boarding school with her secret schemes. With sharp wit and bold plans, she challenges the rules and proves that brains can be just as powerful as charm. Adventure and intrigue await as Frankie navigates friendship, identity, and rebellion in a world full of secrets.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include gaslighting, stalking, cheating. Written for readers ages 11+.
Why we rated Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The 10MN
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 890L across 352 pages (approximately 59,635 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The works for readers up to grade 7.5.
Read aloud, Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The runs about 6.6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The as 10MN ("Moderate — Neutral") 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, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Gaslighting, Stalking, Cheating, Hospital Scene, Blood/Gore.
Thematically, Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The explores coming of age, friendship, social justice, identity & self-discovery, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 11+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, friendship, social justice.
- ✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The carries an award.
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
10MN — Moderate — NeutralReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780786838189
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- Hyperion
- Published
- March 25, 2008
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 59,635
- Lexile
- 890L
- Read-Aloud
- ~6h 38m
- Text Density
- Standard