The hawk of the castle

Name: The hawk of the castle
Author: Danna Smith
ISBN: 9780763679927

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Story of Medieval Falconry

by Danna Smith

Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Reading Level 4-5 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

The sharp cry of the goshawk slices through the crisp castle air, feathers fluttering against the cool wind. Feel the rough leather of the falconer's glove as a young girl and her father prepare their magnificent bird for flight. Their bond grows stronger with every beat of powerful wings, soaring high above ancient stone walls.

Themes

Family Adventure Historical Science & Nature

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction introduces readers to the art of falconry through the eyes of a young girl and her father, who is a falconer at a medieval castle. The story offers educational insights into the sport's preparation and equipment while fostering themes of family connection and respect for nature. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains no content concerns and highlights an engaging historical hobby.

Why we rated The hawk of the castle C (Gentle)

The hawk of the castle is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 35 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The hawk of the castle on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The hawk of the castle as C (Gentle) because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.

Thematically, The hawk of the castle explores family, adventure, historical, and science & nature — 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 family, adventure, historical.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: high

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