The Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles)
Michael De Larrabeiti
The Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Michael De Larrabeiti
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The streets of London buzz with danger as the Borribles, scrappy creatures with pointed ears and fierce hearts, clash against their deadly foes, the Rumbles. Shadows flicker and secrets unravel in the heat of battle—who will survive the night?
Quick Assessment
Set in a dystopian future London, this novel follows the Borribles, former children transformed into tough, pointed-eared creatures, as they face off against their enemies, the Rumbles. The story explores themes of friendship, survival, and social conflict with some fantasy violence, suitable for teenagers. Parents should note the presence of gang conflict and perilous situations typical of young adult adventure fiction.
Why we rated The Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles) 11ME
The Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles) is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles) works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles) 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, social complexity — 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 Borribles Go For Broke (The Borribles) explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, social justice, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 adventure, fantasy world-building, 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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780765350060
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Published
- October 27, 2005
- Type
- Fiction