The tin princess
Philip Pullman
The tin princess
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Philip Pullman
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
Here's a secret: the princess Jim is protecting isn’t just royalty—she’s the girl who disappeared from the slums ten years ago. No one knows who to trust in Razkavia, and danger lurks around every corner. But that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade adventure follows Jim Taylor as he protects Crown Princess Adelaide, who was once a missing girl from the slums. The story explores themes of loyalty, identity, and trust in a suspenseful setting suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the presence of suspense and mild peril, but the book handles these elements in an age-appropriate way.
Why we rated The tin princess 11ME
The tin princess is written at a Level 6 reading level across 276 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The tin princess works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The tin princess 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 tin princess explores adventure, friendship, mystery, 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
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
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780439955270
- Pages
- 276
- Publisher
- Scholastic Paperbacks
- Published
- 2007
- Type
- Fiction