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Shadows of the silver screen

Christopher Edge

Cover of Shadows of the silver screen

Shadows of the silver screen

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Christopher Edge

Reading Level 6 11ME Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

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About This Book

Montgomery Flinch’s eerie stories are coming to life on the silver screen, but something feels wrong. Strange shadows flicker behind the camera as Penny races to solve the mystery. Suddenly, Penny finds herself caught in a terrifying story she didn’t write—what will happen next?

Quick Assessment

Set during the dawn of silent films, this middle-grade mystery follows Penny Dreadful as she investigates unsettling events surrounding a new movie adaptation of Montgomery Flinch’s dark tales. The story blends supernatural elements with suspenseful detective work, suitable for readers ages 9 to 12. Parents should note the book contains spooky scenes that may be intense for sensitive children.

Why we rated Shadows of the silver screen 11ME

Shadows of the silver screen is written at a Level 6 reading level across 247 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Shadows of the silver screen works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Shadows of the silver screen as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, Shadows of the silver screen explores mystery, supernatural, adventure, friendship, and family — 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, supernatural, adventure.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
9
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

247 pages
ISBN
9780807573198
Pages
247
Publisher
Albert Whitman
Published
2014
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Mystery and Detective StoriesSupernaturalMotion PicturesProduction and DirectionAuthorshipOrphansMysteries & Detective StoriesHorror & Ghost StoriesHistoricalEuropeGreat Britain

Places

London (England)Great Britain