The dastardly deed
Holly Grant
The dastardly deed
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Holly Grant
Illustrated by Portillo, Josie, illustrator
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if you discovered you were royalty in a hidden underground world? Imagine escaping a sneaky villain only to uncover family secrets that have been buried for centuries. Can Anastasia unravel the mystery before it's too late?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction follows Anastasia as she escapes danger and discovers her royal heritage in a mysterious underground world. The story combines humor with themes of kidnapping, secrets, and family history, suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note some suspenseful moments but overall it offers an engaging adventure with lighthearted elements.
Why we rated The dastardly deed 12ME
The dastardly deed is written at a Level 7 reading level across 333 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The dastardly deed works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The dastardly deed as 12ME ("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 — 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 dastardly deed explores kidnapping, humorous stories, princesses, secrets, and orphans — 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 kidnapping, humorous stories, princesses.
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
12ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385370257
- Pages
- 333
- Publisher
- Random House Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction