Pharaoh's Secret
Marissa Moss
Pharaoh's Secret
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Marissa Moss
The text is written at a 7th 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
Here's a secret: a lost Egyptian queen's story is disappearing from history, and only Talibah can uncover the truth. When Talibah and her brother travel to Egypt, they stumble into a mystery that connects the ancient past to their own family in ways no one could imagine—but that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel blends historical fiction with supernatural elements as Talibah and her brother uncover the mystery of a forgotten Egyptian queen. It explores themes of family, history, and adventure with some tense moments involving deception and loss. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains mild suspense and references to family grief.
Why we rated Pharaoh's Secret 12LE
Pharaoh's Secret is written at a Level 7 reading level across 312 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Pharaoh's Secret works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Pharaoh's Secret as 12LE ("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, Pharaoh's Secret explores adventure, mystery, history, family, and supernatural — 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 adventure, mystery, history.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780810996649
- Pages
- 312
- Publisher
- Amulet Books
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction