Max and the Midknights

Name: Max and the Midknights
Author: Lincoln C. Peirce
ISBN: 9780593377895

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

the Tower of Time

by Lincoln C. Peirce

Max & the Midknights

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched Page-Turner

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Join Max and her brave band of friends as they race against time to find her missing twin amidst a world filled with trolls, pirates, and two fierce kings. Adventure, mystery, and friendship collide in this thrilling medieval quest where secrets from Max's past come to light. Packed with humor and heart, the journey promises excitement at every turn!

Themes

Adventure Friendship Mystery Family

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, emotional: loss & grief. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Max and the Midknights LE (Mild)

Max and the Midknights is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 273 pages (approximately 22,211 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Max and the Midknights on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Max and the Midknights runs about 2.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Max and the Midknights as LE (Mild, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Emotional: Loss & Grief.

Thematically, Max and the Midknights explores adventure, friendship, mystery, and family — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, mystery.

Maybe not for

! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.