Great and Dangerous
Chris Westwood
Great and Dangerous
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Chris Westwood
The text is written at a 6th 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
Ben and Becky rush through the smoky ruins of a tornado-hit neighborhood, their hearts pounding as shadows flicker at the edge of their vision. Suddenly, a chilling whisper calls Ben's name from the dark halls of his school—who could it be? Just as he turns, a secret that could change everything is about to be revealed.
Quick Assessment
Great and Dangerous follows Ben Harvester and Becky Sanborne as they navigate supernatural challenges while working at the Ministry of Pandemonium, guiding souls to the afterlife. This middle-grade ghost story includes themes of friendship, mystery, and battling dark forces, set against a backdrop of London and supernatural realms. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book contains mild peril and suspense but no graphic content.
Why we rated Great and Dangerous 11LE
Great and Dangerous is written at a Level 6 reading level across 280 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Great and Dangerous works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Great and Dangerous as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Great and Dangerous explores friendship, mystery, adventure, and fantasy world-building — 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 friendship, mystery, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight 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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781781010792
- Pages
- 280
- Publisher
- Frances Lincoln Children's Books
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction