Tom Cringle
Gerald Hausman
Tom Cringle
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Pirate and the Patriot
by Gerald Hausman
The text is written at a 4th 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
Tom Cringle isn’t your average fourteen-year-old — he’s a British navy lieutenant facing pirates on the high seas! His daring mission to rescue stolen slaves leads to dangerous adventures and tough choices that could change everything. Why would pirates risk everything to get their stolen treasure back?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in 1813, this historical fiction follows a young British navy lieutenant on a mission to return slaves stolen by pirates to a Jamaican plantation. The story explores themes of piracy, slavery, and courage, suitable for readers aged 9-12 with an interest in historical adventure. Parents should note the depiction of slavery and conflict, presented within an age-appropriate narrative.
Why we rated Tom Cringle 9ME
Tom Cringle is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 157 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tom Cringle works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Tom Cringle as 9ME ("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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Tom Cringle explores adventure, pirates, historical, slavery, and sea stories — 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 adventure, pirates, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 068982811X
- Pages
- 157
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
- Published
- 2001
- Type
- Fiction