What reading level is The Wanderings of Odysseus?

The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff is at a Level 9-10 reading level (Lexile 1220L). Recommended for Upper Grades / Adult readers (Ages 16+).

What age is The Wanderings of Odysseus appropriate for?

The Wanderings of Odysseus is recommended for Ages 16+. HootRating: 14ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is The Wanderings of Odysseus?

The Wanderings of Odysseus is fiction — Young Adult Fiction.

Does The Wanderings of Odysseus have any content warnings?

The Wanderings of Odysseus has a HootRating of 14ME (Moderate — 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 Wanderings of Odysseus?

The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff is 134 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated July 16, 2026

The Wanderings of Odysseus

Rosemary Sutcliff

The Wanderings of Odysseus

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

The Story of The Odyssey

by Rosemary Sutcliff

Reading Level 9-10 14ME Ages 16+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 9th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens and adults (ages 16+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

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About This Book

Do you know the secret dangers lurking beyond the seas? Odysseus thought the hardest battles were over, but the real adventure begins when his journey home turns into a thrilling fight against monsters, magic, and the unknown. And that’s only the beginning of his epic tale.

Themes

AdventureMythologyHeroismFantasy World-BuildingClassics

Quick Assessment

This classic retelling of Homer's Odyssey follows King Odysseus as he faces numerous mythical challenges on his journey home from the Trojan War. Suitable for teens, the book includes themes of heroism, adventure, and mythology with some perilous encounters involving fantastical creatures. It’s an engaging introduction to Greek myths that balances excitement with literary richness.

Why we rated The Wanderings of Odysseus 14ME

The Wanderings of Odysseus is written at a Level 9-10 reading level with a Lexile measure of 1220L across 134 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 10.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Wanderings of Odysseus works for readers up to grade 11.5.

We rate The Wanderings of Odysseus as 14ME ("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 Wanderings of Odysseus explores adventure, mythology, heroism, fantasy world-building, and classics — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 16+ 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, mythology, heroism.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
! 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.