The lost wreck of the Isis
Robert D. Ballard
The lost wreck of the Isis
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Robert D. Ballard
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Dive beneath the waves to uncover the secrets of an ancient Roman shipwreck near Sicily, where history and adventure collide. Join the thrilling exploration as a daring team investigates the mysteries resting beside an active underwater volcano. Discover the past through sunken treasures and fascinating underwater archaeology.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 6-7 book with gentle content intensity. It's a Sweet Spot read — challenging text with gentle themes, ideal for advanced or 2e readers. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated The lost wreck of the Isis 11C
The lost wreck of the Isis is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 63 pages (approximately 17,113 words). Strong independent readers around grade 7.9 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The lost wreck of the Isis works for readers up to grade 8.9.
Read aloud, The lost wreck of the Isis runs about 1.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The lost wreck of the Isis as 11C ("Clear") 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 lost wreck of the Isis explores adventure, history, science & nature, and underwater archaeology — 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 adventure, history, science & nature.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" 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
- 0590438522
- Pages
- 63
- Publisher
- New York, NY : Scholastic
- Published
- 1990
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Word Count
- 17,113
- Read-Aloud
- ~1h 54m
- Text Density
- Dense