Over the Sea
Sherwood Smith
Over the Sea
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
CJ's First Notebook
by Sherwood Smith
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
What if a mysterious girl named Clair appeared in your dreams and whisked you away to a magical kingdom where adventure waits at every turn? Imagine becoming a princess with the power to lead and protect your new home from shadowy villains and strange visitors from other worlds. But can you keep the kingdom safe when danger lurks closer than you think?
Quick Assessment
Over the Sea is a middle-grade fantasy adventure about a girl named CJ who is taken to another world and becomes a princess tasked with leadership and record-keeping. The story features themes of friendship, bravery, and magic as CJ and her friends face villains and mysterious visitors from different times and worlds. Suitable for ages 9-12, this book contains mild fantasy peril and imaginative action but no graphic content.
Why we rated Over the Sea 11LE
Over the Sea is written at a Level 6 reading level across 260 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Over the Sea works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Over the Sea as 11LE ("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, Over the Sea explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, coming of age, and royalty — 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 adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781934648360
- Pages
- 260
- Publisher
- YA Angst
- Published
- December 15, 2007
- Type
- Fiction