Lord of the deep
Graham Salisbury
Lord of the deep
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Graham Salisbury
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Mikey spends his days aboard a fishing boat in Hawaii, learning the ropes from his stepfather while discovering the true meaning of courage and commitment. As the ocean challenges him, he grows through unexpected adventures and hard-earned lessons about family and responsibility.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated Lord of the deep 9C
Lord of the deep is written at a Level 4 reading level across 182 pages (approximately 32,575 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Lord of the deep works for readers up to grade 6.0.
Read aloud, Lord of the deep runs about 3.6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Lord of the deep as 9C ("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, Lord of the deep explores fishing, family, and adventure — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fishing, family, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 0385729189
- Pages
- 182
- Publisher
- Laurel Leaf
- Published
- 2001
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 32,575
- Read-Aloud
- ~3h 37m
- Text Density
- Standard