The robe of skulls
Vivian French
The robe of skulls
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms
by Vivian French
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
Did you know that high above the mountain village of Fracture, a sorceress is crafting a gown covered in skulls? Lady Lamorna’s treasure chest is empty, but she’s ready to use magic, mischief, and even kidnapping to get what she wants. And that's only the beginning of this wild, magical adventure!
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy novel features a sorceress named Lady Lamorna who uses magic and trickery to achieve her desires, leading to a thrilling adventure involving a brave girl, talking bats, and enchanted creatures. Suitable for ages 9-12, it blends fairy tale elements with playful language and nonsense humor. Parents should note the presence of mild magical peril and themes of good versus evil.
Why we rated The robe of skulls 11LE
The robe of skulls is written at a Level 6 reading level across 200 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The robe of skulls works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The robe of skulls 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 robe of skulls explores magic, fairy tales, adventure, friendship, and humor — 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, fairy tales, adventure.
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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780763643645
- Pages
- 200
- Publisher
- National Geographic Books
- Published
- 2009
- Type
- Fiction