Doll bones
Holly Black
Doll bones
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Holly Black
The text is written at a 5th 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
Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl. Illustrations.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated Doll bones Level 0
Doll bones is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 840L across 244 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Doll bones works for readers up to grade 7.5.
We rate Doll bones as Unrated because the content sits in the "Unrated" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the unrated intensity score.
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.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
Level 0 — UnratedThis book has not yet been rated for content intensity.
Was our "Unrated" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781416963981
- Pages
- 244
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction
- Lexile
- 840L