Tell me a story
Roger C. Schank
Tell me a story
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A New Look at Real and Artificial Memory
by Roger C. Schank
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The quiet scratch of a pencil on paper fills the room as stories come alive in your mind. Imagine memories weaving together like colorful threads, creating tales that spark your imagination and bring new worlds to life. What secrets do these stories hold about how we think and remember?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction explores the psychological aspects of intelligence, memory, and storytelling through a creative narrative. It introduces readers to concepts about how humans and machines process and retrieve knowledge in an accessible way for ages 9-12. The book encourages curiosity about imagination and cognition without heavy or complex content.
Why we rated Tell me a story 11LT
Tell me a story is written at a Level 6 reading level across 253 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tell me a story works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Tell me a story as 11LT ("Light — Thematic") 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, Tell me a story explores intellect, memory, storytelling, and artificial intelligence — 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 intellect, memory, storytelling.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
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
11LT — Light — ThematicNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780684190495
- Pages
- 253
- Publisher
- Scribner Book Company
- Published
- 1990
- Type
- Nonfiction