The book of virtues for boys and girls
William J. Bennett
The book of virtues for boys and girls
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Treasury of Great Moral Stories
by William J. Bennett
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
What makes a hero? Imagine a treasure chest filled with stories about courage, kindness, and honesty—each one a key to understanding what it means to be good. Can these timeless tales help you discover the virtues that shape your own story?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This abridged collection presents classic stories and poems that illustrate important virtues such as honesty, courage, and kindness, aimed at children ages 9 to 12. It serves as a literary resource to encourage moral development and character building through engaging narratives. The content is age-appropriate with no intense themes, making it suitable for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated The book of virtues for boys and girls 11C
The book of virtues for boys and girls is written at a Level 6 reading level across 209 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The book of virtues for boys and girls works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The book of virtues for boys and girls as 11C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, The book of virtues for boys and girls explores literature, friendship, family, coming of age, and moral complexity — 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 literature, friendship, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9781416971252
- Pages
- 209
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2008
- Type
- Fiction