The betrayal of Maggie Blair
Elizabeth Laird
The betrayal of Maggie Blair
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Elizabeth Laird
The text is written at a 8th 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
What would you do if you were accused of being a witch and sentenced to hang? Sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair flees through the dark forests of seventeenth-century Scotland, seeking refuge with her uncle. But can she protect her family from the King’s men closing in on them all?
Quick Assessment
Set in seventeenth-century Scotland, this historical fiction follows sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair as she escapes a deadly witchcraft accusation and seeks safety with her uncle. The story explores themes of betrayal, courage, and the harsh realities of justice in that era. Suitable for middle-grade readers ages 9-12, it contains some tense scenes involving danger and historical persecution.
Why we rated The betrayal of Maggie Blair 12ME
The betrayal of Maggie Blair is written at a Level 8 reading level across 423 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The betrayal of Maggie Blair works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate The betrayal of Maggie Blair as 12ME ("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, The betrayal of Maggie Blair explores history, betrayal, family, adventure, and witchcraft — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about history, betrayal, family.
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
12ME — 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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780547341262
- Pages
- 423
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction