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The secret of the scarlet hand

Carolyn Keene

Cover of The secret of the scarlet hand

The secret of the scarlet hand

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Carolyn Keene

Reading Level 4-5 9LT 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.

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About This Book

What if a mysterious red handprint held the secret to a priceless missing artifact? Nancy finds herself in the heart of the nation's capital, where a priceless Mayan treasure vanishes from a museum. Can she unravel the clues before the secret slips away forever?

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade mystery follows Nancy as she investigates the theft of a priceless Mayan artifact during a family trip to Washington, D.C. Designed for readers aged 9-12, the story offers an engaging puzzle with minimal suspense and no intense content, making it suitable for this age group.

Why we rated The secret of the scarlet hand 9LT

The secret of the scarlet hand is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 149 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The secret of the scarlet hand works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The secret of the scarlet hand as 9LT ("Light — Thematic") 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 secret of the scarlet hand explores mystery, adventure, and friendship — 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 mystery, adventure, friendship.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LT — Light — Thematic
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
3
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

149 pages
ISBN
9780671872076
Pages
149
Publisher
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Published
1995
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Mysteries & Detective StoriesMystery and Detective StoriesDrewNancyMuseumsDetective and Mystery Stories