Sword of Antietam
Joseph A. Altsheler
Sword of Antietam
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Story of the Nation's Crisis
by Joseph A. Altsheler
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
Dick Mason isn’t just any soldier—he’s a hero whose courage turns the tide of battle at Antietam, one of the fiercest fights in the Civil War. His story shows how bravery and friendship can change history, even when everything seems lost.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This historical fiction novel follows young Dick Mason and his friends during the Civil War, focusing on the Battle of Antietam. Suitable for ages 9-12, it provides an engaging introduction to American history with themes of courage, friendship, and conflict, while handling battle scenes with appropriate sensitivity for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated Sword of Antietam 11ME
Sword of Antietam is written at a Level 6 reading level across 270 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Sword of Antietam works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Sword of Antietam 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, 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, Sword of Antietam explores united states history, civil war, friendship, coming of age, and adventure — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about united states history, civil war, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781477652718
- Pages
- 270
- Publisher
- CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction