The Emerald Shore
Barbara Mariconda
The Emerald Shore
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Barbara Mariconda
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
Here's a secret: Lucy’s life is tangled in two kinds of magic—one that keeps her safe and one that could destroy everything she loves. She’s chasing a lost pirate treasure on the rocky shores of Ireland to break a family curse. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
The Emerald Shore concludes the Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons trilogy, blending historical adventure with fantasy elements suitable for middle-grade readers aged 9-12. The story explores themes of family curses and courage as Lucy embarks on a global quest to find pirate treasure and break dark magic’s hold. Parents should note mild peril and magical themes woven into a historically grounded narrative.
Why we rated The Emerald Shore 12ME
The Emerald Shore is written at a Level 7 reading level across 323 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Emerald Shore works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The Emerald Shore 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 Emerald Shore explores adventure, fantasy world-building, family, and social issues — 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, family.
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
- 9780062119964
- Pages
- 323
- Publisher
- Katherine Tegen Books
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction