The ninth day
Ruth Tenzer Feldman
The ninth day
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ruth Tenzer Feldman
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
What if you could travel back in time to solve a mystery that could change everything? Hope Friis, who has a strong stutter, finds herself whisked away to Paris in the year 1099 with the help of a magical prayer shawl and a time-traveling ancestor. Can she find her voice and save a baby in danger before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel blends historical fiction with fantasy as it follows Hope, a young girl with a stutter, who travels back to medieval Paris to solve a mystery and help a baby in danger. The story explores themes of courage, self-discovery, and the importance of finding one's voice, set against the backdrop of the 1960s Free Speech Movement in Berkeley. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the book addresses emotional challenges in an age-sensitive way without intense content.
Why we rated The ninth day 11LE
The ninth day is written at a Level 6 reading level across 275 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The ninth day works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The ninth day 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 ninth day explores time travel, history, coming of age, family, and social justice — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about time travel, history, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781932010657
- Pages
- 275
- Publisher
- Blue Thread Saga
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction