What reading level is How to Get Away with Myrtle?

How to Get Away with Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce is at a Level 5-6 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is How to Get Away with Myrtle appropriate for?

How to Get Away with Myrtle is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 10LP (Light — Physical). Content flags: Mild Peril, Fantasy Violence.

What genre is How to Get Away with Myrtle?

How to Get Away with Myrtle is fiction — Juvenile Fiction. Part of the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series.

Does How to Get Away with Myrtle have any content warnings?

How to Get Away with Myrtle has a HootRating of 10LP (Light — Physical). Content flags include: Mild Peril, Fantasy Violence. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is How to Get Away with Myrtle?

How to Get Away with Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce is 352 pages (approximately 73,161 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

How to Get Away with Myrtle

Elizabeth C. Bunce

How to Get Away with Myrtle

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery

Reading Level 5-6 10LP Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

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.

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About This Book

Myrtle Hardcastle would rather solve mysteries than relax, so when a priceless tiara disappears and a body is found on a seaside train trip, she jumps into action. With her clever mind, faithful cat Peony, and a knack for noticing clues, Myrtle sets out to uncover who among the passengers is a thief and a killer. Adventure and intrigue await as she outsmarts the local police and races against time to crack the case.

Themes

Mystery Adventure Friendship Family

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, fantasy violence. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated How to Get Away with Myrtle 10LP

How to Get Away with Myrtle is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 352 pages (approximately 73,161 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.8 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, How to Get Away with Myrtle works for readers up to grade 7.8.

Read aloud, How to Get Away with Myrtle runs about 8.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate How to Get Away with Myrtle as 10LP ("Light — 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, Fantasy Violence.

Thematically, How to Get Away with Myrtle explores mystery, adventure, friendship, 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, adventure, friendship.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series.