Plays children love
Coleman A. Jennings, Aurand Harris
Plays children love
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Treasury of Contemporary and Classic Plays for Children
by Coleman A. Jennings, Aurand Harris
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Have you ever wondered what happens when stories come alive on stage? Imagine stepping into a world where kids tell tales full of laughter, surprises, and adventure. Which play will you bring to life?
Quick Assessment
This book is a collection of twenty-five plays designed for young performers and audiences, suitable for children aged 9 to 12. The plays offer a variety of themes and styles, promoting creativity and engagement with theater. Appropriate for middle-grade readers, it encourages participation and imagination without intense content.
Why we rated Plays children love 12C
Plays children love is written at a Level 8 reading level across 678 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Plays children love works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Plays children love as 12C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Plays children love explores friendship, family, humor, adventure, and fantasy world-building — 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 friendship, family, humor.
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
12C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0385170963
- Pages
- 678
- Publisher
- Doubleday Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1981
- Type
- Fiction