The Peace Child
Ann Phillips
The Peace Child
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ann Phillips
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The sharp clang of swords echoes through the dusty village as smoke curls into the gray sky. Amidst the chaos of the Peasants' Revolt and the shadow of the Great Plague, a young girl feels the weight of two feuding families pulling her heart in opposite directions. Her journey is filled with courage, fear, and the hope for peace in a world torn apart.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set during the turbulent times of the fourteenth century Peasants' Revolt and the Great Plague, this historical fiction follows a young girl caught between two hostile families. Suitable for readers aged 13 to 18, the book explores themes of conflict, loyalty, and resilience in a challenging historical context. Parents should be aware of the depiction of historical violence and disease, which is handled with sensitivity appropriate for young adults.
Why we rated The Peace Child 9ME
The Peace Child is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 160 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Peace Child works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Peace Child as 9ME ("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 Peace Child explores historical, family, conflict, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 historical, family, conflict.
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
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780192715609
- Pages
- 160
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press, USA
- Published
- September 22, 1988
- Type
- Fiction