The treasure map of boys
E. Lockhart
The treasure map of boys
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon--and me, Ruby Oliver
by E. Lockhart
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
A sixteen-year-old girl in Seattle navigates the ups and downs of therapy, managing a school bake sale, and the challenges of her creative mother's lifestyle. As friendships shift and romantic feelings become complicated, she faces the tricky path of growing up and finding herself. Balancing school life and emotional changes, she learns what it means to move forward.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include mental health, divorce & family change, romantic content. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated The treasure map of boys 9ME
The treasure map of boys is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 244 pages (approximately 53,821 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.9 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The treasure map of boys works for readers up to grade 6.9.
Read aloud, The treasure map of boys runs about 6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The treasure map of boys as 9ME ("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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mental Health, Divorce & Family Change, Romantic Content.
Thematically, The treasure map of boys explores coming of age, friendship, family, romance, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, friendship, family.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Ruby Oliver series.
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
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
5/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
6/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385734264
- Pages
- 244
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- 2009
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 53,821
- Read-Aloud
- ~5h 59m
- Text Density
- Standard