The Poison Place
Mary E. Lyons
The Poison Place
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Mary E. Lyons
The text is written at a 5th 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
Moses, once enslaved, reflects on his life with renowned artist Charles Willson Peale and unravels the mysterious circumstances behind the tragic death of Peale's son. This gripping tale weaves history with suspense, exploring the complexities of slavery and loyalty during a turbulent time.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include slavery, death, historical conflict. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated The Poison Place 10MP
The Poison Place is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 165 pages (approximately 34,766 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.3 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Poison Place works for readers up to grade 7.3.
Read aloud, The Poison Place runs about 3.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The Poison Place as 10MP ("Moderate — Physical") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Slavery, Death, Historical Conflict.
Thematically, The Poison Place explores historical, slavery, mystery, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, slavery, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10MP — Moderate — PhysicalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0689811462
- Pages
- 165
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 1997
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 34,766
- Read-Aloud
- ~3h 52m
- Text Density
- Standard