What reading level is The Outlaws of Sherwood?

The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley is at a Level 6-7 reading level (Lexile 960L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The Outlaws of Sherwood appropriate for?

The Outlaws of Sherwood is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 11LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The Outlaws of Sherwood?

The Outlaws of Sherwood is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The Outlaws of Sherwood have any content warnings?

The Outlaws of Sherwood has a HootRating of 11LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is The Outlaws of Sherwood?

The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley is 352 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

The Outlaws of Sherwood

Robin McKinley

The Outlaws of Sherwood

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robin McKinley

Reading Level 6-7 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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: Robin Longbow never meant to cause trouble, but one wrong shot changes everything. Now, deep in Sherwood Forest, he and his friends are hiding from danger, but they're not just running—they're standing up for what's right. And that's only the beginning of their daring adventure.

Themes

Adventure Friendship Family Fantasy World-Building HistoricalFairy Tales & Folklore

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel retells the classic Robin Hood legend with a focus on justice and friendship. It contains themes of rebellion against unfair authority and the forming of a close-knit community in Sherwood Forest. Suitable for ages 9-12, it includes mild peril and explores themes of courage and standing up for others.

Why we rated The Outlaws of Sherwood 11LE

The Outlaws of Sherwood is written at a Level 6-7 reading level with a Lexile measure of 960L across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Outlaws of Sherwood works for readers up to grade 8.5.

We rate The Outlaws of Sherwood 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 Outlaws of Sherwood explores adventure, friendship, family, fantasy world-building, and historical — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, family.

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.
! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.