The Wizard of Dark Street

Name: The Wizard of Dark Street
Author: Shawn Thomas Odyssey
ISBN: 9781606841433

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

an Oona Crate mystery

by Shawn Thomas Odyssey

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Here’s a secret: twelve-year-old Oona was supposed to be a wizard’s apprentice, but she’s ready for something different—detective work! Just as she decides to follow her own path, her uncle, the Wizard, is suddenly stabbed. But that's only the beginning.

Themes

WizardsMagicFamily Coming of Age Mystery

Quick Assessment

Set in 1877, this middle-grade fantasy follows Oona, a young girl torn between a magical apprenticeship and her dream of becoming a detective. After her uncle, the Wizard, is attacked, Oona must use her wits and emerging skills to solve the mystery. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book includes themes of magic, family, and self-discovery without graphic content.

Why we rated The Wizard of Dark Street LE (Mild)

The Wizard of Dark Street is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 346 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage The Wizard of Dark Street on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The Wizard of Dark Street as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, The Wizard of Dark Street explores wizards, magic, family, coming of age, and mystery — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about wizards, magic, family.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?