The rise and fall of the Gallivanters

Name: The rise and fall of the Gallivanters
Author: Mary Jane Beaufrand
ISBN: 9781419714955

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

a novel

by Mary Jane Beaufrand

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The sharp clang of guitar strings fills the air, mixing with the sharp scent of hops from the old brewery. Noah and his band, the Gallivanters, tune up nervously, ready to face the crowd and the mystery that lingers in the shadows. But as Evan’s cough grows worse, the music carries a heavy secret that only they can face together.

Themes

FamilyMusicFriendshipFamily CrisesJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

A Portland punk band in 1983 heads to a battle of the bands at a brewery its lead singer suspects is hiding something sinister, while bassist Evan's worsening illness forces the group to confront painful memories of an abusive parent. Expect a mystery with missing-girls subplots, references to past abuse, grief, and illness handled with humor and heartbreak, plus some teen drinking and punk-scene edginess. It suits mature teen readers who can handle emotionally heavy material.

Why we rated The rise and fall of the Gallivanters ME (Moderate)

The rise and fall of the Gallivanters is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 279 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate The rise and fall of the Gallivanters as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

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

Thematically, The rise and fall of the Gallivanters explores family, music, friendship, family crises, and juvenile fiction — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, music, friendship.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Mild

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

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