Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout
Richard Hamilton
Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Richard Hamilton
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
Jack Bolt’s quiet night at Granny’s is shattered when a sharp object crashes through his bedroom wall! Suddenly, he's face-to-face with a band of highwaymen—not just any highwaymen, but ones from the eighteenth century! As they scramble to hide in the twenty-first century, Jack has to think fast—because the law is closing in.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade adventure follows Jack Bolt as he teams up with time-traveling highwaymen from the eighteenth century who find refuge in his modern-day home. The story blends action, humor, and historical elements suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note the presence of mild peril and themes of law and crime handled in a lighthearted, age-appropriate way.
Why we rated Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout 9LP
Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 191 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout as 9LP ("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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Jack Bolt and the Highwaymen's Hideout explores adventure, time travel, humor, friendship, and law & crime — 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, time travel, humor.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LP — Light — PhysicalLight 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
- 9780747585107
- Pages
- 191
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Published
- 2007-07-02
- Type
- Fiction