The Phantom Tower
Keir Graff
The Phantom Tower
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Keir Graff
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 your new home wasn't just a place to live, but a gateway to a world frozen in time? Twin brothers Colm and Mal uncover a hidden elevator button that whisks them into a parallel dimension where ghostly residents are trapped forever. Can they break the ancient curse before they become part of the phantom tower themselves?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade adventure follows twelve-year-old twins Colm and Mal as they adjust to a new life in Chicago after their father's death. They discover their apartment building conceals a portal to a parallel dimension inhabited by trapped spirits, leading to a thrilling mystery that explores themes of family, loss, and courage. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the story includes mild suspense and supernatural elements but is suitable for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated The Phantom Tower 11LE
The Phantom Tower is written at a Level 6 reading level across 269 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Phantom Tower works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Phantom Tower 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 Phantom Tower explores family, adventure, mystery, supernatural, and coming of age — 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 family, adventure, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
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
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781524739522
- Pages
- 269
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction