The haunted clubhouse
Caroline Leavitt
The haunted clubhouse
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Caroline Leavitt
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
There's a secret hiding inside the old clubhouse Joe won—a secret that only Wishbone and his friends can uncover. Strange noises, flickering lights, and shadows that move on their own make the place spooky, but that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade mystery follows Wishbone and his friends as they investigate eerie events in an old 1930s clubhouse. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story combines friendship, problem-solving, and light spooky elements without intense scares or graphic content.
Why we rated The haunted clubhouse 9LE
The haunted clubhouse is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 142 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The haunted clubhouse works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The haunted clubhouse 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 haunted clubhouse explores mystery, adventure, friendship, dogs, and haunted houses — 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, adventure, friendship.
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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0836823834
- Pages
- 142
- Publisher
- Gareth Stevens Publishing
- Published
- 1999
- Type
- Fiction