The boardwalk
Robert Kotlowitz
The boardwalk
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Robert Kotlowitz
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if you could step back in time to the summer of 1939, when the world was on the edge of big changes? Imagine spending two weeks on the lively Atlantic City boardwalk with Teddy Lewin and his family, discovering secrets and facing challenges that could change everything. How will Teddy's summer adventure shape his view of the world just before everything shifts?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade historical fiction follows 14-year-old Teddy Lewin and his Jewish family during a two-week vacation in Atlantic City in 1939. The story gently explores themes of family, cultural identity, and the looming global tensions of the era, suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note the historical setting includes context about pre-World War II anxieties, presented in an age-appropriate manner.
Why we rated The boardwalk 11LE
The boardwalk is written at a Level 6 reading level across 275 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The boardwalk works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The boardwalk as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, The boardwalk explores family, historical, coming of age, and multicultural — 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 family, historical, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 0394492269
- Pages
- 275
- Publisher
- Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 1977
- Type
- Fiction