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Thrilling thieves

Brianna DuMont

Cover of Thrilling thieves

Thrilling thieves

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Thrilling Thieves: Liars, Cheats, and Cons Who Changed History

by Brianna DuMont

Reading Level 4-5 9LS 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

What if the heroes of history weren’t so heroic after all? Imagine sneaking behind the scenes with twelve clever troublemakers—from sneaky pirates to daring thieves—who changed the world in ways you’d never expect. But be careful: their secrets might just rewrite everything you thought you knew!

Themes

HistoryAdventureRogues and VagabondsJuvenile LiteraturePirates

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade nonfiction book explores the lesser-known stories of historical figures who engaged in theft and trickery to achieve fame and fortune. It presents a playful yet informative look at history’s rogues, making it suitable for children ages 9-12 interested in adventurous and unconventional perspectives. The content is lighthearted and appropriate, with no graphic or mature themes.

Why we rated Thrilling thieves 9LS

Thrilling thieves is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 177 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Thrilling thieves works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Thrilling thieves as 9LS ("Light — Social") 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, Thrilling thieves explores history, adventure, rogues and vagabonds, juvenile literature, and pirates — 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 history, adventure, rogues and vagabonds.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LS — Light — Social
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Light
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

177 pages
ISBN
9781510701694
Pages
177
Publisher
Sky Pony
Published
2018
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

ThievesPiratesBrigands and RobbersRogues and VagabondsRobbers and OutlawsCriminals

People

Napoleon I Emperor of the French (1769-1821)Robert Smalls (1839-1915)Catherine II Empress of Russia (1729-1796)Robert Fortune (1813-1880)Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)Vincenzo PeruggiaFrancisco Pizarro (approximately 1475-1541)Zhèng Shì (1775-1844)William Marcy Tweed (1823-1878)Elizabeth I Queen of England (1533-1603)Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs (1911-1988)