Flood Tide
Clive Cussler
Flood Tide
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Clive Cussler
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: a mysterious shipping port is being built in the middle of nowhere, and it's tied to a legendary lost treasure hidden since 1949. Dirk Pitt is hot on the trail, chasing clues that lead from eerie shipwrecks to ancient secrets buried deep underwater—but that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
Flood Tide is an adventurous middle-grade novel featuring Dirk Pitt as he pursues a notorious smuggler and uncovers a historic shipwreck tied to valuable treasures. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story includes themes of mystery, exploration, and suspense, with mild peril typical of adventure fiction. Parents should note the book contains some suspenseful moments and moderate action but no graphic content.
Why we rated Flood Tide 12LP
Flood Tide is written at a Level 8 reading level across 665 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Flood Tide works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Flood Tide as 12LP ("Light — 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Flood Tide explores adventure, mystery, friendship, and historical — 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, mystery, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 0590351729
- Pages
- 665
- Publisher
- Sphere
- Published
- 2017-08-24
- Type
- Fiction