What reading level is Isabel Feeney?

Isabel Feeney by Beth Fantaskey is at a Level 5-6 reading level (Lexile 840L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Isabel Feeney appropriate for?

Isabel Feeney is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 10LT (Light — Thematic).

What genre is Isabel Feeney?

Isabel Feeney is fiction — Chicago (Ill.).

Does Isabel Feeney have any content warnings?

Isabel Feeney has a HootRating of 10LT (Light — Thematic). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Isabel Feeney?

Isabel Feeney by Beth Fantaskey is 336 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated June 9, 2026

Isabel Feeney

Beth Fantaskey

Isabel Feeney

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Star Reporter

by Beth Fantaskey

Reading Level 5-6 10LT Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

What would you do if you found yourself chasing a big mystery in the roaring 1920s? Imagine being a ten-year-old newsgirl with dreams of becoming a top reporter, suddenly tangled up in the dangerous world of gangsters and secrets. Can Isabel uncover the truth behind a gangster’s murder before it’s too late?

Themes

Adventure Historical Mystery FriendshipJournalism

Quick Assessment

Set in the 1920s, this middle-grade fiction follows Isabel Feeney, a ten-year-old newsgirl with ambitions to be a reporter, as she investigates a gangster’s murder. The story introduces historical elements and themes of crime and journalism appropriate for readers ages 9-12. Parents should note the presence of mild peril related to crime and the era’s social context.

Why we rated Isabel Feeney 10LT

Isabel Feeney is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 840L across 336 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Isabel Feeney works for readers up to grade 7.5.

We rate Isabel Feeney as 10LT ("Light — Thematic") 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, Isabel Feeney explores adventure, historical, mystery, friendship, and journalism — 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, historical, mystery.