The story of Cirrus Flux
Matthew Skelton
The story of Cirrus Flux
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Matthew Skelton
The text is written at a 6th 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.
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About This Book
What if you discovered you had a mysterious gift that everyone wanted to control? Imagine escaping through the shadowy streets of 18th-century London, chased by villains who won’t stop until they have you. Can Cirrus Flux find safety before his secret changes everything?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in late-18th-century London, this middle-grade novel follows orphan Cirrus Flux as he navigates danger from villains seeking a supposed divine gift he has inherited. The story blends historical settings with fantasy and adventure elements, suitable for readers aged 9-12. Themes of friendship, survival, and courage are explored with moderate action and suspense but no graphic content.
Why we rated The story of Cirrus Flux 11ME
The story of Cirrus Flux is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The story of Cirrus Flux works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The story of Cirrus Flux as 11ME ("Moderate — 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, The story of Cirrus Flux explores adventure, historical, fantasy & magic, friendship, and survival — 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 adventure, historical, fantasy & magic.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385733816
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction