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Phantom of Venice

Carolyn Keene

Cover of Phantom of Venice

Phantom of Venice

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Carolyn Keene

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

There’s a secret hiding beneath the shimmering canals of Venice—a famous glassblower has vanished without a trace, and an artist has disappeared too. Nancy’s about to uncover clues that nobody else can see, but that’s only the beginning.

Themes

MysteryAdventureFriendshipCultural Exploration

Quick Assessment

Nancy Drew journeys to Venice to solve the mysterious kidnappings of a renowned glassblower and an artist. This middle-grade mystery blends adventure with mild suspense, suitable for readers ages 9 to 12. The story contains themes of friendship, problem-solving, and cultural exploration without intense content.

Why we rated Phantom of Venice 9LE

Phantom of Venice is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 160 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Phantom of Venice works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Phantom of Venice as 9LE ("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, Phantom of Venice explores mystery, adventure, friendship, and cultural exploration — 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 mystery, adventure, friendship.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
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

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
3
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

160 pages
ISBN
9781442498815
Pages
160
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published
2013
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Mystery and Detective StoriesVeniceDrewNancy

Places

Venice (Italy)