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The Hand of Power

Robert Lawrence Stine

Cover of The Hand of Power

The Hand of Power

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Fear Street Sagas #16

by Robert Lawrence Stine

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

There’s a secret hidden deep inside Peter Sturdevant’s spooky mansion—one that can change everything. Margarete Fier thought she was safe after being saved from danger, but that’s only the beginning.

Themes

Horror & Ghost StoriesAdventureMystery

Quick Assessment

This young adult horror novel follows Margarete Fier as she discovers a mysterious power within a haunted mansion after being rescued from a dangerous situation. Appropriate for teens, it contains spooky themes and mild suspense typical of ghost stories but no graphic content.

Why we rated The Hand of Power 9LE

The Hand of Power is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 181 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Hand of Power works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The Hand of Power 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 Hand of Power explores horror & ghost stories, adventure, and mystery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

  • Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
  • Kids drawn to stories about horror & ghost stories, adventure, mystery.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
3
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

181 pages
ISBN
9780307248053
Pages
181
Publisher
Golden Books Pub
Published
1999
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Horror & Ghost StoriesGhost StoriesHaunted HousesHorror StoriesHorror TalesRécits D'horreur