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The ice-cold case

Franklin W. Dixon

Cover of The ice-cold case

The ice-cold case

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Franklin W. Dixon

Reading Level 4-5 9MP Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 4th 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

Bullets zip past as the Hardy Boys sprint through the shadowy streets, hearts pounding. They've chased these burglars for years, but tonight, the criminals fight back harder than ever. Suddenly, everything goes dark—what happens next?

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade mystery features the Hardy Boys as they pursue a group of burglars who have terrorized their town for years. The story includes action-packed scenes and mild peril appropriate for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note some tension and suspense but no graphic content.

Why we rated The ice-cold case 9MP

The ice-cold case is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 147 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The ice-cold case works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The ice-cold case as 9MP ("Moderate — Physical") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from 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 ice-cold case explores mystery, adventure, and friendship — 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 who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

9MP — Moderate — Physical
Emotional
Light
Physical
Moderate
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
3
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

147 pages
ISBN
9780671001223
Pages
147
Publisher
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Published
1998
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Action & AdventureMysteries & Detective StoriesHardy BoysMystery and Detective Stories