Grump
Liesl Shurtliff
Grump
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The (fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
by Liesl Shurtliff
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
I’m about to tell you a secret: Grump, a dwarf who’s always dreamed of seeing the world above, finally gets his chance. He finds a friend in Queen E.V.I.L., who seems perfect—until her dark plans start to surface. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Grump follows the story of a young dwarf who leaves his underground home to live aboveground, where he befriends a queen with a mysterious and potentially dangerous agenda. The story explores themes of loyalty, magic, and moral complexity suitable for middle-grade readers. Parents should note mild fantasy peril and the tension between good and evil characters.
Why we rated Grump 11ME
Grump is written at a Level 6 reading level across 295 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Grump works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Grump as 11ME ("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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Grump explores fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship, moral complexity, and family — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781524717025
- Pages
- 295
- Publisher
- Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction