The Crime of Martin Coverly
Leonard Wibberley
The Crime of Martin Coverly
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Leonard Wibberley
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if a chance meeting with a ghost could send you back in time? Imagine stepping onto a secret island and suddenly finding yourself two hundred years in the past, face to face with pirates and adventure. Can Nick solve the mystery of Martin Coverly before time runs out?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction book follows Nick Ormsby as he travels back in time after meeting the ghost of an eighteenth-century pirate. It offers an exciting mix of historical adventure and fantasy suitable for children ages 9 to 12. The story contains mild peril related to piracy but is appropriate for its target audience.
Why we rated The Crime of Martin Coverly 9LP
The Crime of Martin Coverly is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 150 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Crime of Martin Coverly works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Crime of Martin Coverly as 9LP ("Light — Physical") 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 Crime of Martin Coverly explores adventure, fantasy world-building, and historical — 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, fantasy world-building, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9780590323079
- Pages
- 150
- Publisher
- Scholastic Paperbacks
- Published
- January 1983
- Type
- Fiction