What reading level is The Sterkarm Handshake?

The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price is at a Level 8 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The Sterkarm Handshake appropriate for?

The Sterkarm Handshake is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 12LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The Sterkarm Handshake?

The Sterkarm Handshake is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The Sterkarm Handshake have any content warnings?

The Sterkarm Handshake has a HootRating of 12LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is The Sterkarm Handshake?

The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price is 518 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated July 16, 2026

The Sterkarm Handshake

Susan Price

The Sterkarm Handshake

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Susan Price

Reading Level 8 12LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 8th 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

The crackle of firewood and the sharp scent of pine fill the cool night air as Andrea steps through a shimmering tunnel. Suddenly, she’s surrounded by the rough voices and rugged faces of a sixteenth-century border clan. Torn between two worlds, her heart races with the weight of a choice that could change her life forever.

Themes

Science & NatureTime TravelAdventure Coming of Age Family

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade science fiction novel follows Andrea, who travels through a time tunnel from the 21st century to a dangerous 16th-century border clan in England. It explores themes of identity and belonging as Andrea faces the challenge of choosing where she truly belongs. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story contains mild peril but is appropriate for middle-grade readers.

Why we rated The Sterkarm Handshake 12LE

The Sterkarm Handshake is written at a Level 8 reading level across 518 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Sterkarm Handshake works for readers up to grade 10.0.

We rate The Sterkarm Handshake as 12LE ("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 Sterkarm Handshake explores science & nature, time travel, adventure, coming of age, and family — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about science & nature, time travel, adventure.

Maybe not for

! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.