The magician's bird
Emily Fairlie
The magician's bird
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
a Tuckernuck mystery
by Emily Fairlie
Illustrated by Caparó, Antonio Javier, illustrator
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: the founder of your school might be hiding a big mystery. Laurie, Bud, and Misti are about to uncover clues that could prove his innocence in the magician’s puzzling murder. But that’s only the beginning of their adventure.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade mystery follows three seventh graders as they organize a scavenger hunt and work to clear their school's founder of a murder accusation. The story includes themes of friendship, problem-solving, and historic discoveries, making it suitable for ages 9 to 12. There is no intense content, and the mystery is handled in an age-appropriate manner.
Why we rated The magician's bird 11LE
The magician's bird is written at a Level 6 reading level across 279 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The magician's bird works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The magician's bird as 11LE ("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 magician's bird explores mystery, friendship, adventure, historic buildings, and schools — 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, friendship, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — 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
- 9780062118936
- Pages
- 279
- Publisher
- Katherine Tegen Books
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction