The dark frigate

Name: The dark frigate
Author: Charles Boardman Hawes
ISBN: 9780316350969

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

wherein is told the story of Philip Marsham who lived in the time of King Charles and was bred a sailor but came home to England...

by Charles Boardman Hawes

Reading Level 6 LP · Mild · Physical Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

The ship creaks under the moonlight as the pirates shout orders, and suddenly, the young man is dragged into the chaos. He didn’t expect to become one of them, but now there’s no turning back. What will happen when the hunt for treasure turns deadly?

Themes

Adventure Historical Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This historical adventure follows a young man who, after his ship is captured by pirates, must navigate life as part of their crew while facing danger and tough choices. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, the book contains themes of bravery, loyalty, and survival with some scenes of peril but no graphic content. It’s a gripping tale for middle-grade readers who enjoy action and historical settings.

Why we rated The dark frigate LP (Mild)

The dark frigate is written at a Level 6 reading level across 246 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage The dark frigate on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The dark frigate as LP (Mild, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril.

Thematically, The dark frigate explores adventure, historical, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, historical, coming of age.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LP · Mild · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Mild ←

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.