The Tricksters
Margaret Mahy
The Tricksters
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Margaret Mahy
Illustrated by David Loew
The text is written at a 6th 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
What happens when your past won’t let you go? Jonny has been carrying the weight of his sister’s death for five years, searching for answers that seem just out of reach. Then he meets a mysterious woman whose memories slip away, and everything he thought he knew about loss begins to change.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel explores themes of grief, guilt, and healing through the story of a teenage boy coping with the loss of his sister. It sensitively portrays emotional struggles and introduces Alzheimer's disease as a meaningful metaphor. Suitable for ages 13 and up, it offers a thoughtful look at family issues and personal growth.
Why we rated The Tricksters 11IE
The Tricksters is written at a Level 6 reading level across 272 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Tricksters works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Tricksters as 11IE ("Intense — 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, thematic difficulty — 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 Tricksters explores family, loss & grief, mental health, supernatural, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, loss & grief, mental health.
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
11IE — Intense — 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
1/10A 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
- 9780689829109
- Pages
- 272
- Publisher
- Simon Pulse
- Published
- September 1, 1999
- Type
- Fiction