The fire-raiser
Maurice Gee
The fire-raiser
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Maurice Gee
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
Here’s a secret: someone is setting fires in Kitty Wix’s quiet town, and everyone is scared. Kitty and her friends decide to uncover the truth, but what they discover is far more dangerous than they expected. And that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
Set in early 20th-century New Zealand, this middle-grade mystery follows Kitty Wix and her friends as they work to stop an arsonist threatening their community. The story includes themes of fear and bravery appropriate for ages 9 to 12, with mild suspense but no graphic content. Parents should note the historical setting and the focus on mystery and teamwork.
Why we rated The fire-raiser 9LE
The fire-raiser is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 172 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The fire-raiser works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The fire-raiser as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") 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 fire-raiser explores mystery, friendship, historical, and adventure — 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 mystery, friendship, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 9780618750412
- Pages
- 172
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Published
- 2007
- Type
- Fiction