Teddy's cattle drive
Marc Simmons
Teddy's cattle drive
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
a story from history
by Marc Simmons
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The dusty trail crunches beneath your boots, and the smell of campfire smoke fills the air. Eleven-year-old Teddy rides alongside a herd of cattle, the sun beating down as he learns what it truly means to be a cowboy. Every challenge on the Chisholm Trail teaches him something new about courage and responsibility.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Teddy's Cattle Drive follows an eleven-year-old boy's first experience on a cattle drive during the 1870s along the historic Chisholm Trail. This early reader introduces young children to cowboy life, responsibility, and perseverance in a historical western setting. Suitable for ages 5-8, the story features gentle challenges and growth without any intense content.
Why we rated Teddy's cattle drive 8LE
Teddy's cattle drive is written at a Level 3 reading level across 56 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Teddy's cattle drive works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate Teddy's cattle drive as 8LE ("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, Teddy's cattle drive explores adventure, coming of age, historical, family, and responsibility — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, coming of age, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8LE — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0826339212
- Pages
- 56
- Publisher
- University of New Mexico Press
- Published
- 2005
- Type
- Fiction