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Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties

Lesley M. M. Blume

Cover of Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties

Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFate

by Lesley M. M. Blume

Reading Level 6 11LP Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th 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

Lightning flashes over the city as a shadow darts between the skyscrapers—it's not just any shadow, but a mischievous fairy on the loose! Suddenly, a goblin's sneaky grin appears in the dark alley, and you realize the fairies of New York aren't all friendly. What secrets will you uncover when the night falls?

Quick Assessment

This richly illustrated middle-grade book offers an imaginative look at modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other mythical creatures set in New York City. It provides practical advice for recognizing friendly and unfriendly fairies, along with eight cautionary tales that blend folklore with urban fantasy. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book encourages curiosity about folklore while maintaining a playful tone.

Why we rated Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties 11LP

Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties is written at a Level 6 reading level across 258 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties as 11LP ("Light — Physical") 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, Modern fairies, dwarves, goblins, and other nasties explores fantasy world-building, adventure, mystery, and multicultural — 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 fantasy world-building, adventure, mystery.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LP — Light — Physical
Emotional
Clear
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

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

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

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Details

Book Length

258 pages
ISBN
9780375862038
Pages
258
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published
2010
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

FairiesNew York