The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books)

Name: The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books)
Author: Terry Deary
ISBN: 1404812989

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Terry Deary

Illustrated by Helen Flook

Read-it! Chapter Books; Historical Tales

Reading Level 3-4 C · Gentle Ages 5-8 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

A clever princess sneaks into the castle's kitchen to uncover a secret plan by a servant who dreams of wearing the crown. With wit and courage, she navigates the palace halls to protect her royal family. This exciting tale brings history to life with fun and adventure!

Themes

HistoryRoyaltyAdventureJuvenile Historical Fiction

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 5-8.

Why we rated The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books) C (Gentle)

The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books) is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 60 pages (approximately 3,313 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books) on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books) takes about 22 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books) as C (Gentle) because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

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

Thematically, The Prince, the Cook And the Cunning King (Read-It! Chapter Books) explores history, royalty, adventure, and juvenile historical fiction — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about history, royalty, adventure.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

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