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Kingdom hearts

Shiro Amano

Cover of Kingdom hearts

Kingdom hearts

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

358/2 days

by Shiro Amano

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

What if you woke up with no memories and found yourself in a secret group full of magic and mystery? Roxas is just like that, trying to figure out who he is while making friends with Axel and No. 14. But as he uncovers the truth about his missing heart, everything he thought he knew starts to change.

Themes

MagicAmnesiacsSecret societiesFriendshipFantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

Kingdom Hearts follows Roxas, a character who begins life with no memories and joins a secretive organization. Through friendship and discovery, Roxas explores themes of identity and belonging suitable for middle-grade readers aged 9 to 12. The story involves fantasy elements and mild peril but maintains an age-appropriate tone for this audience.

Why we rated Kingdom hearts 9LE

Kingdom hearts is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 176 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Kingdom hearts works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Kingdom hearts as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Kingdom hearts explores magic, amnesiacs, secret societies, friendship, and fantasy world-building — 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 magic, amnesiacs, secret societies.
  • Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

176 pages
ISBN
9780316401180
Pages
176
Publisher
Yen Press
Published
2013
Type
Nonfiction

Genres

Subjects

MagicAmnesiacsSecret SocietiesComic Books, StripsFriendshipHeartGraphic NovelsTranslations Into EnglishFantasy Comic Books, StripsComics & Graphic Novels, Manga, Fantasy