Sleeping Beauty
Mahlon F. Craft
Sleeping Beauty
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Mahlon F. Craft
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
A princess falls into a deep sleep after a curse, and her fate hangs in the balance until a brave hero faces dark dangers to awaken her. Filled with magical creatures and daring adventures, this timeless tale invites readers into a world of enchantment and courage. Richly illustrated, it brings to life the thrilling moments of an age-old fairy tale.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 6-7 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include physical danger, fantasy violence, death. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated Sleeping Beauty 11ME
Sleeping Beauty is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 64 pages (approximately 2,137 words). Strong independent readers around grade 7.1 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Sleeping Beauty works for readers up to grade 8.1.
Read aloud, Sleeping Beauty takes about 14 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.
We rate Sleeping Beauty 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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Physical Danger, Fantasy Violence, Death, Fear & Anxiety, Emotional: Loss & Grief, Physical/Safety: Illness & Injury, Social: War & Conflict.
Thematically, Sleeping Beauty explores fairy tales, adventure, fantasy world-building, family, and courage — 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.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fairy tales, adventure, fantasy world-building.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
6/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 1587171201
- Pages
- 64
- Publisher
- Chronicle Books
- Published
- 2002
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 2,137
- Read-Aloud
- ~14 min
- Text Density
- Picture-Heavy