The children on the hill
Michael Deakin
The children on the hill
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Story of an Extraordinary Family
by Michael Deakin
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
What if you discovered a secret world on a hill where gifted children live with amazing powers? Imagine facing challenges that test your courage and heart in ways you never expected. But when darkness threatens this hidden place, can you find the strength to save it?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows gifted children living in a mysterious setting, exploring themes of courage, loss, and resilience. It deals with serious issues such as child abuse, addiction, and death, making it suitable for older middle-grade readers who can handle mature content. Parents should be aware of these heavy themes and consider their child's readiness before reading.
Why we rated The children on the hill 9IE
The children on the hill is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 125 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The children on the hill works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The children on the hill as 9IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Child Abuse, Addiction, Death, Animal Abuse, Restraint, Drugging.
Thematically, The children on the hill explores gifted children, family, loss & grief, courage, and resilience — 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 gifted children, family, loss & grief.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780233962733
- Pages
- 125
- Publisher
- London : Deutsch
- Published
- 1972
- Type
- Nonfiction