The book of secrets

Name: The book of secrets
Author: Cynthia Voigt
ISBN: 9780307976840

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Cynthia Voigt

Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

Reading Level 6-7 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Mister Max races through the smoky streets, the mayor's worried voice echoing behind him. Fires keep breaking out, and secrets swirl in every corner. Just when he thinks he's close to the truth about his missing parents, a new clue turns everything upside down.

Themes

MysteryProblem SolvingSelf-RelianceFamily Adventure

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade mystery follows Mister Max, a clever and resourceful boy who assists the mayor in investigating a series of suspicious fires while also searching for his missing parents. The story encourages problem-solving and self-reliance, suitable for ages 9-12. It contains mild suspense but no intense or graphic content.

Why we rated The book of secrets LE (Mild)

The book of secrets is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 355 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 8 and up can manage The book of secrets on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The book of secrets as LE (Mild, mostly 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 book of secrets explores mystery, problem solving, self-reliance, family, and adventure — 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, problem solving, self-reliance.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?