Haunted Key (Frightville #3)
Mike Ford
Haunted Key (Frightville #3)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Mike Ford
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.
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About This Book
Sofia owns a skeleton key that can unlock any door—no matter how rusty or hidden. But when she opens the attic door in her new house, she doesn't just find old stuff; she unlocks a doorway to a mysterious past. What secrets are waiting behind that door, and why might some things be better left locked?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction book follows Sofia, who discovers a magical skeleton key that opens a hidden attic door, leading to an intriguing and potentially unsettling adventure into the past. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains mild suspense and mystery elements typical of juvenile fiction without graphic content. Parents should note that the story explores themes of curiosity and the unknown in a spooky but age-appropriate way.
Why we rated Haunted Key (Frightville #3) 9LE
Haunted Key (Frightville #3) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 128 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Haunted Key (Frightville #3) works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Haunted Key (Frightville #3) as 9LE ("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, Haunted Key (Frightville #3) explores adventure, mystery, and juvenile fiction — 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, juvenile fiction.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — 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
- 9781338360141
- Pages
- 128
- Publisher
- Scholastic Inc.
- Published
- 2020
- Type
- Fiction