Hangman's gold

Name: Hangman's gold
Author: Sneed B. Collard
ISBN: 9780984446025

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Sneed B. Collard

Slate Stephens Mysteries

Reading Level 4-5 LP · Mild · Physical Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

Twelve-year-old friends Slate and Daphne embark on a thrilling adventure to uncover hidden treasure from Montana's wild past while trying to solve the mystery of two missing masterpieces from a university museum. Their daring quest leads them through twists and turns as they race against time to catch art thieves and discover the legendary hangman's gold.

Themes

Adventure Mystery Friendship Historical

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, mystery. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Hangman's gold LP (Mild)

Hangman's gold is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 208 pages (approximately 38,382 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Hangman's gold on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Hangman's gold runs about 4.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Hangman's gold 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, Mystery.

Thematically, Hangman's gold 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, mystery, friendship.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Slate Stephens Mysteries series.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LP · Mild · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Mild ←

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading 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.