The Wicked Prince
Hans Christian Andersen
The Wicked Prince
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustrated by Georges Lemoine
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
A proud prince, convinced that no one is mightier than he is, sets out to challenge even the greatest powers. His confidence leads to a surprising showdown with a tiny gnat that shows true strength comes in unexpected forms. This tale explores how pride can be humbled in the most unexpected ways.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated The Wicked Prince 9C
The Wicked Prince is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 40 pages (approximately 917 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.8 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Wicked Prince works for readers up to grade 6.8.
Read aloud, The Wicked Prince takes about 6 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.
We rate The Wicked Prince as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, The Wicked Prince explores fantasy world-building, adventure, and morality — 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 who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, morality.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
6/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0152009582
- Pages
- 40
- Publisher
- Creative Editions
- Published
- October 1995
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 917
- Read-Aloud
- ~6 min
- Text Density
- Picture-Heavy