Tales from Earthsea

Name: Tales from Earthsea
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
ISBN: 0151005613

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Earthsea

Reading Level 6-7 VP · Very Intense · Physical Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is very intense with mature or graphic material. Its HootRating code, VP, means very intense content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

Journey deeper into the enchanted realm of Earthsea with five captivating stories that reveal untold adventures and mysteries beyond the original novels. Discover the rich history, languages, and magic that shape this fantastical world, bringing new life and depth to beloved characters and places.

Themes

Fantasy World-Building AdventureMagicHistorical

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 6-7 book with very intense content intensity. Content themes include death, animal abuse, child abuse. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated Tales from Earthsea VP (Very Intense)

Tales from Earthsea is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 296 pages (approximately 85,982 words). Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

Read aloud, Tales from Earthsea runs about 9.6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Tales from Earthsea as VP (Very Intense, mostly physical) because the content sits in the "Very Intense" range — very intense or graphic content — peril, violence, trauma, or mature themes treated head-on. The strongest signals come from physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Death, Animal Abuse, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Gaslighting, Stalking, Addiction, Drug Use, Sexual Assault, Pedophilia.

Thematically, Tales from Earthsea explores fantasy world-building, adventure, magic, and historical — 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, magic.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 5 more books in the Earthsea series.

Maybe not for

! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
! 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

VP · Very Intense · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Very Intense ←

Social

Very Intense

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Graphic or sustained depictions of trauma, violence, or mature content.