The peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee

Name: The peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee
Author: Erin Petti
ISBN: 9781938063725

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Erin Petti

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

The creak of the old wooden floor echoes through the dark, chilly house as Thelma Bee clutches a mysterious jewelry box. A whisper floats through the air, soft yet urgent: 'Return.' With her dad taken by a ghost and shadows lurking, can Thelma unravel the secret before the magic turns against her?

Themes

FantasyGhostsMagicAdventure Mystery

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fantasy novel follows eleven-year-old Thelma Bee, a young scientist whose father is kidnapped by a ghost. The story blends mystery, magic, and adventure, suitable for readers ages 9 to 12. It contains mild supernatural themes and moments of suspense but is appropriate for its target audience.

Why we rated The peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee LE (Mild)

The peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 209 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee as LE (Mild, mostly 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 peculiar haunting of Thelma Bee explores fantasy, ghosts, magic, adventure, and mystery — 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, ghosts, magic.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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