The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen
Myron Levoy
The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Myron Levoy
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.
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About This Book
When twelve-year-old Joshua and his younger sister Amy embark on a journey from South Dakota to bustling New York City, a magical hat and its enigmatic owner, Mortimer Wintergreen, guide their way. Filled with surprises and laughter, their adventure reveals the wonders that magic and family can bring.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen 9C
The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 211 pages (approximately 34,738 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.2 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen works for readers up to grade 6.2.
Read aloud, The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen runs about 3.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen as 9C ("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 magic hat of Mortimer Wintergreen explores adventure, family, humor, and fantasy world-building — 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, family, humor.
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
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A 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
- 0060238429
- Pages
- 211
- Publisher
- Harpercollins
- Published
- 1988
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 34,738
- Read-Aloud
- ~3h 52m
- Text Density
- Standard