What reading level is Phillis Wheatley?

Phillis Wheatley by Garnet Nelson Jackson is at a Level 4-5 reading level. Recommended for Upper Grades readers (Ages 13+).

What age is Phillis Wheatley appropriate for?

Phillis Wheatley is recommended for Ages 13+. Content intensity: "Mild" (2/5). Content flags: Historical Slavery.

What genre is Phillis Wheatley?

Phillis Wheatley is nonfiction.

Does Phillis Wheatley have any content warnings?

Phillis Wheatley has a content intensity rating of "Mild" (2/5). Content flags include: Historical Slavery. On HootRated, every book is rated for emotional, physical, and social content themes to help parents make informed choices.

Phillis Wheatley

Garnet Nelson Jackson

Phillis Wheatley

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Poet/6 Hardcover Books and 1 Teaching Companion (Beginning Biographies)

by Garnet Nelson Jackson

Reading Level 4-5 Mild (Lvl 2) Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

The quiet scratch of a quill on parchment fills the air, mixing with the scent of old books and candle wax. A young girl, once a slave, discovers the magic of words and transforms her world through poetry. Her journey whispers of courage and hope that still echoes today.

Themes

African American poetsBiographyColonial periodPoetryResilience

Quick Assessment

This fictionalized biography introduces readers to Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved girl who learned to read and write and became one of America’s first published poets. Suitable for teens aged 13-18, it explores themes of resilience and creativity during the colonial period, providing historical context with accessible language. Parents should note the story touches on slavery and the challenges Wheatley faced but handles these topics with sensitivity.