What reading level is The wood?

The wood by Chelsea Bobulski is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 770L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The wood appropriate for?

The wood is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The wood?

The wood is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The wood have any content warnings?

The wood has a HootRating of 9LE (Light — 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 wood?

The wood by Chelsea Bobulski is 313 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

The wood

Chelsea Bobulski

The wood

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Chelsea Bobulski

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

There's a secret in the woods that no one talks about—an ancient magic that whispers through the trees. If you stray from the paths, you might hear the call that changes everything. But that's only the beginning.

Themes

MagicForests and forestryMissing personsFamilyTime travel

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fantasy novel explores themes of magic, family, and time travel through the story of a child navigating mysterious woods and a missing person mystery. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, it contains mild supernatural elements and some suspense but remains appropriate for this age group. Parents should note the presence of themes involving disappearance and magical adventure.

Why we rated The wood 9LE

The wood is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 770L across 313 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The wood works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The wood as 9LE ("Light — 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 wood explores magic, forests and forestry, missing persons, family, and time travel — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about magic, forests and forestry, missing persons.