The book of shadows
Ruth Hatfield
The book of shadows
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ruth Hatfield
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 if someone you loved was erased from everyone's memory like they never existed? Danny remembers his cousin Tom, the only one who vanished without a trace. As shadows creep across the land, draining all life and color, Danny and Cath must face a dark power— but can they trust each other before it’s too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy adventure explores themes of memory, loss, and supernatural forces as Danny tries to recover the erased memory of his cousin Tom. The story includes elements of suspense, mild peril, and friendship, suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the presence of supernatural threats and some emotional intensity around loss and bravery.
Why we rated The book of shadows 11ME
The book of shadows is written at a Level 6 reading level across 278 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The book of shadows works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The book of shadows 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, physical peril — 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 book of shadows explores adventure, supernatural, friendship, human-animal communication, and action and adventure fiction — 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 adventure, supernatural, friendship.
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
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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781627790031
- Pages
- 278
- Publisher
- Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction