Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
High Wire
Charles Ogden
Edgar & Ellen
The text is written at a 5th 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
Edgar and Ellen, mischievous twins, run away to join the circus hoping to find friends and freedom from their strange guardian and the eerie one-eyed Pet. As they perform daring acts under the big top, they quickly learn that not everyone in the circus is who they seem. Their adventure is full of tricks, surprises, and tricky alliances.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated High Wire LP (Mild)
High Wire is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 208 pages (approximately 29,413 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage High Wire on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
Read aloud, High Wire runs about 3.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate High Wire 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.
Thematically, High Wire explores humor, twins, family, and adventure — 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.
- ✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about humor, twins, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LP · Mild · PhysicalReading 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.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
7/10High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant 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
- 9781416915003
- Pages
- 208
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- August 29, 2006
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 29,413
- Read-Aloud
- ~3h 16m
- Text Density
- Light Text