The bone is pointed
Arthur William Upfield
The bone is pointed
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Arthur William Upfield
The text is written at a 6th 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 happened to the riderless horse found wandering alone? In a dusty Australian town, a tough man named Jack Anderson has vanished without a trace, but no one seems to mind—except one clever detective. Can Bony uncover the secrets hidden in the outback before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in Australia, this middle-grade mystery follows Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte as he investigates the disappearance of a man with a dark past. The story includes themes of crime and justice but is appropriate for ages 9-12, with some references to alcohol and a character's harsh temperament. It's a compelling introduction to detective fiction with cultural elements specific to Australia.
Why we rated The bone is pointed 11ME
The bone is pointed is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The bone is pointed works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The bone is pointed as 11ME ("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, 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 bone is pointed explores mystery, adventure, police, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, adventure, police.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — 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
3/10A 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
- 0824023951
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Dissertations-G
- Published
- 1976
- Type
- Fiction