This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook)
Polly Crosby
This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Polly Crosby
The text is written at a 6th 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
Nesta holds a secret power that could change everything—she can reveal the true stories hidden by the Authorities. Living deep in the woods, she’s safe until her grandmother is taken, forcing her into the dangerous City. What Nesta uncovers could shake the whole world, and that’s why her story matters.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Nesta, a girl living in hiding who must enter a strict, oppressive City to rescue her grandmother. Along the way, she discovers a unique ability to reveal hidden truths, placing her in great danger. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of courage, resistance, and uncovering history under an authoritarian regime, with mild peril but no graphic content.
Why we rated This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook) 11ME
This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook) is written at a Level 6 reading level across 246 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook) works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook) as 11ME ("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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, This Tale Is Forbidden (eBook) explores adventure, family, social justice, coming of age, and mystery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, family, social justice.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal 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
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780702334078
- Pages
- 246
- Publisher
- Scholastic UK
- Published
- 2024
- Type
- Fiction