King and joker
Peter Dickinson
King and joker
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Peter Dickinson
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if a king’s peaceful palace turned into a playground for mysterious practical jokes? Imagine living with a royal family where laughter hides a secret—and when the king’s look-alike cousin is suddenly found murdered, the fun takes a frightening turn. Can the mystery be solved before more danger strikes?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in a royal palace, this middle-grade mystery involves King Victor, his family, and a series of practical jokes that escalate into a serious crisis when a look-alike cousin is murdered. The story contains some strong language and explores themes of family and suspense. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers an engaging mix of historical fiction and mystery with moderate intensity.
Why we rated King and joker 11ME
King and joker is written at a Level 6 reading level across 222 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, King and joker works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate King and joker as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Strong language.
Thematically, King and joker explores mystery, family, and historical — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, family, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0340207000
- Pages
- 222
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Published
- 1976
- Type
- Fiction