Fathom Five
Robert Westall
Fathom Five
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Robert Westall
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
During the spring of 1943, a group of teens in the quiet English town of Garmouth band together to uncover a secret spy within their midst. As they unravel clues, their courage and friendship are put to the test in a thrilling quest to protect their community from hidden dangers.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include fear & anxiety, mild peril, war & conflict. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Fathom Five 9ME
Fathom Five is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 276 pages (approximately 65,019 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.3 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Fathom Five works for readers up to grade 6.3.
Read aloud, Fathom Five runs about 7.2 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Fathom Five as 9ME ("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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Fear & Anxiety, Mild Peril, War & Conflict.
Thematically, Fathom Five explores friendship, adventure, historical, mystery, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 friendship, adventure, historical.
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
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal 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
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0679801316
- Pages
- 276
- Publisher
- Random House Books for Young Readers
- Published
- November 21, 1990
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 65,019
- Read-Aloud
- ~7h 13m
- Text Density
- Standard