The secrets of Tree Taylor

Name: The secrets of Tree Taylor
Author: Dandi Daley Mackall
ISBN: 9780375868979

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Dandi Daley Mackall

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd 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.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Tree Taylor is no ordinary kid—she's a daring detective in her own small town! When a shocking event shakes her community, she dives headfirst into the mystery. But what she discovers might change everything she thought she knew.

Themes

FamilySecretsCommunity lifeJuvenile fictionFamily life

Quick Assessment

In 1963 small-town Missouri, thirteen-year-old Tree Taylor investigates after a neighbor is shot and uncovers secrets that unsettle her family and community. The story explores when telling the truth matters and when keeping a confidence is the kinder choice. Parents should know about an offstage shooting, some mild peril, and a light first-kiss storyline, all handled with a warm, mostly gentle tone.

Why we rated The secrets of Tree Taylor LE (Mild)

The secrets of Tree Taylor is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 283 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage The secrets of Tree Taylor on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The secrets of Tree Taylor 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 secrets of Tree Taylor explores family, secrets, community life, juvenile fiction, and family life — 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 family, secrets, community life.

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

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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