King of Thetrees 5
Bill Burt
King of Thetrees 5
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Downs (King of the Trees)
by Bill Burt
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
The crisp snap of frozen leaves underfoot echoes through the shadowy phantom forest, where icy winds whisper secrets of danger and magic. Owen, brave son of Tadwyn, feels the chill of fate as he steps deeper into a forbidden faery kingdom, where every step could be his last. With a faithful feathered friend by his side, he faces a destiny that will test his courage and heart like never before.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy follows Owen as he leads a royal family through a magical yet perilous faery realm filled with cold and dangerous creatures. The story explores themes of sacrifice, bravery, and friendship, framed within a rich retelling of ancient legend. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book contains fantasy peril and spiritual themes but is appropriate for readers comfortable with moderate adventure and mythical elements.
Why we rated King of Thetrees 5 11ME
King of Thetrees 5 is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, King of Thetrees 5 works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate King of Thetrees 5 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, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, King of Thetrees 5 explores fantasy, religious - general, adventure, friendship, and sacrifice — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy, religious - general, adventure.
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.
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781579217976
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Winepress Publishing
- Published
- July 30, 2005
- Type
- Fiction