HootRated mascot HootRated

The outlaws of Sherwood Street

Peter Abrahams

Cover of The outlaws of Sherwood Street

The outlaws of Sherwood Street

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

stealing from the rich

by Peter Abrahams

Reading Level 6 11ME Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

What if a magical charm landed right in your hands and suddenly, you could fight for justice? Imagine teaming up with your friends and your loyal dog to take on a world filled with thievery, arson, and mysterious fortunes. But every step closer to righting wrongs pulls you deeper into danger—can Robbie and her crew outsmart the shadows before it's too late?

Themes

MagicSchool storiesConduct of lifeNeighborhoodsJusticeFriendshipAdventure

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Robbie Forester as she discovers a magical charm that empowers her and her friends to seek justice in their neighborhood. The story explores themes of fairness, friendship, and courage, set against a backdrop of school life and community challenges. Suitable for ages 9-12, it includes some suspenseful moments involving crime and danger but remains appropriate for this age group.

Why we rated The outlaws of Sherwood Street 11ME

The outlaws of Sherwood Street is written at a Level 6 reading level across 294 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The outlaws of Sherwood Street works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate The outlaws of Sherwood Street as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, The outlaws of Sherwood Street explores magic, school stories, conduct of life, neighborhoods, and 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about magic, school stories, conduct of life.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Moderate
Social
Light
Thematic
Light

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
7
World Scope
10
Data Confidence
7

Similar Books

Based on content and theme analysis

See all books like this →

Details

Book Length

294 pages
ISBN
9780142424384
Pages
294
Publisher
Penguin
Published
2013
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

MagicSchool StoriesConduct of LifeNeighborhoodsJusticeFamily LifeNeighborhoodSchoolsFamiliesCharm BraceletsNeighborsBrooklynN.y.)

Places

New York (State)Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)New YorkBrooklynNew York (N.Y.)