The wooden prince
John Claude Bemis
The wooden prince
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by John Claude Bemis
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Pinocchio, once a wooden automa serving Venice's emperor, begins to transform into a living boy while trapped with the mysterious alchemist Geppetto. When Pinocchio is kidnapped, he embarks on a daring quest across a fantastical empire filled with winged airmen and wild outlaws, while Princess Lazuli races to save her captured father and protect her magical kingdom. Together, their paths intertwine in a thrilling tale of loyalty, adventure, and self-discovery.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, physical danger, fantasy violence. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated The wooden prince 10MP
The wooden prince is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 313 pages (approximately 74,464 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.1 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The wooden prince works for readers up to grade 7.1.
Read aloud, The wooden prince runs about 8.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The wooden prince as 10MP ("Moderate — Physical") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Physical Danger, Fantasy Violence, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery.
Thematically, The wooden prince explores fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship, coming of age, and family — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Out of Abaton series.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10MP — Moderate — PhysicalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
5/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
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
- 9781484707272
- Pages
- 313
- Publisher
- Hachette+ORM
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 74,464
- Read-Aloud
- ~8h 16m
- Text Density
- Standard