The Romeo and Juliet code

Name: The Romeo and Juliet code
Author: Phoebe Stone
ISBN: 9780545215114

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Phoebe Stone

Reading Level 5-6 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), 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

Eleven-year-old Felicity leaves London during World War II to stay with her family in a quiet Maine town. There, she teams up with a shy boy to unravel secret messages that might reveal what happened to her lost parents. Together, they navigate mystery and history in a story full of hope and bravery.

Themes

Historical Mystery Family Friendship Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include war & conflict, loss & grief, mild peril. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated The Romeo and Juliet code ME (Moderate)

The Romeo and Juliet code is written at a Level 5-6 reading level (approximately 58,166 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The Romeo and Juliet code on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, The Romeo and Juliet code runs about 6.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The Romeo and Juliet code 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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: War & Conflict, Loss & Grief, Mild Peril.

Thematically, The Romeo and Juliet code explores historical, mystery, family, friendship, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, mystery, family.

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

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Moderate

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

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