The relic hunters

Name: The relic hunters
Author: Derek Benz
ISBN: 9780316045193

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Derek Benz

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.

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About This Book

The clank of clockwork gears fills the air, mixed with whispers of hidden magic and the hum of secret machines. Beyond the walls of Iron Bridge Academy, fairies flutter and robots whir in a world where adventure waits at every turn. But when old enemies return, can four friends hold on to their bond before everything falls apart?

Themes

MagicAdventure and adventurersFriendship Fantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

The Relic Hunters follows a group of middle-grade friends navigating a magical academy filled with supernatural creatures and advanced inventions. As they face challenges that test their friendship, they must unite to confront a returning villain. Suitable for ages 9-12, this fantasy adventure explores themes of friendship, conflict resolution, and teamwork with mild peril.

Why we rated The relic hunters LE (Mild)

The relic hunters is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 349 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The relic hunters on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The relic hunters 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 relic hunters explores magic, adventure and adventurers, friendship, and fantasy world-building — 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 magic, adventure and adventurers, friendship.

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

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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