James Madison
David B. Mattern
James Madison
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Patriot, Politician, and President
by David B. Mattern
PowerPlus Books; Library of American Lives and Times
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Explore the life of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, who played a key role in shaping the Constitution and securing the Bill of Rights. Discover how his leadership helped lay the foundation of American democracy. This engaging biography brings history to life for young readers.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 8-9 book with gentle content intensity. It's a Sweet Spot read — challenging text with gentle themes, ideal for advanced or 2e readers. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated James Madison 12C
James Madison is written at a Level 8-9 reading level across 112 pages (approximately 13,704 words). Strong independent readers around grade 9.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, James Madison works for readers up to grade 10.6.
Read aloud, James Madison runs about 1.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate James Madison as 12C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, James Madison explores historical, biography, presidents, coming of age, and social justice — 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.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, biography, presidents.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 2 more books in the PowerPlus Books; Library of American Lives and Times series.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
6/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
More in the PowerPlus Books; Library of American Lives and Times Series
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 1404226486
- Pages
- 112
- Publisher
- The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
- Published
- 2005
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Word Count
- 13,704
- Read-Aloud
- ~1h 31m
- Text Density
- Light Text