Living Long Ago
Felicity Brooks, Shirley Bond
Living Long Ago
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Food and Eating
by Felicity Brooks, Shirley Bond
Illustrated by Teri Gower
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
People have been eating some really surprising foods for thousands of years! From crunchy bread in medieval Europe to sweet honey in ancient Egypt, every bite tells a story. Discover why what we eat connects us to the past and changes how we live today.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This book offers an engaging and accessible look at historical food habits across various cultures, including ancient Egypt and medieval Europe. Suitable for early readers aged 5-8, it combines simple text with illustrations to introduce young children to history through the lens of everyday eating customs. There is no intense content, making it a safe and educational read for young audiences.
Why we rated Living Long Ago 7C
Living Long Ago is written at a Level 2 reading level across 24 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Living Long Ago works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Living Long Ago as 7C ("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, Living Long Ago explores history, food habits, children: grades 2-3, and juvenile literature — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about history, food habits, children: grades 2-3.
- ✓ 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
7C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780881103991
- Pages
- 24
- Publisher
- Edc Pub
- Published
- November 1989
- Type
- Nonfiction