Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Double Cross
Stuart Gibbs
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 mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.
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About This Book
The clanging of iron bars and the musty smell of old stone fill the cold prison cell. Greg and his friends are trapped, their chance to save King Louis slipping away with every tick of the clock. Can they break free before history is rewritten forever?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This exciting middle-grade novel follows Greg and his friends as they navigate time travel and political intrigue in 17th-century France. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains mild peril and adventurous themes but no graphic content. The story emphasizes friendship, courage, and the importance of history.
Why we rated Double Cross LP (Mild)
Double Cross is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 256 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Double Cross on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
We rate Double Cross as LP (Mild, mostly physical) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril.
Thematically, Double Cross explores adventure, friendship, historical, and action & adventure — 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 adventure, friendship, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LP · Mild · PhysicalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062048448
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction