Strandee
David McRobbie
Strandee
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by David McRobbie
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Steven Plumtree, a 19th-century blacksmith's apprentice, just stepped into the 21st century with Mum and Cara. Imagine trying to explain time travel to your family while figuring out how to fit into a world centuries ahead. Their adventure proves that history isn’t just in the past—it can surprise you when you least expect it.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows Mum, Cara, and Steven as they navigate the challenges of time travel from the 19th century to the present day. Suitable for readers aged 11 and up, it explores themes of family, adaptation, and the clash between past and present. The story is appropriate for middle-grade and teen readers with no intense content concerns.
Why we rated Strandee 11LE
Strandee is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Strandee works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Strandee as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Strandee explores family, adventure, time travel, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, adventure, time travel.
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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780207199646
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers Australia
- Published
- 2003
- Type
- Fiction