The Metropolitans
Carol Goodman
The Metropolitans
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carol Goodman
The text is written at a 7th 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: on the very day Pearl Harbor was attacked, four friends meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a mysterious mission. They're searching for a lost book of Arthurian legends that might stop another disaster. But that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy mystery is set against the historical backdrop of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Four thirteen-year-olds come together at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to find a missing book that could prevent further attacks. The story blends adventure with historical elements, suitable for readers aged 9 to 12, with no intense content.
Why we rated The Metropolitans 12LE
The Metropolitans is written at a Level 7 reading level across 358 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Metropolitans works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The Metropolitans as 12LE ("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 Metropolitans explores fantasy, mystery, history, 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 fantasy, mystery, history.
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
12LE — 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781101997666
- Pages
- 358
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction