Tommy and the wishing stone
Thornton W. Burgess
Tommy and the wishing stone
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated by Cady, Harrison, 1877-1970, illustrator
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Tommy finds a stone that can grant wishes, but not in the way you'd expect. When he sits on it, he becomes different woodland creatures, from a tiny mouse to a hopping toad. But that's only the beginning of his surprising adventure.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction book follows Tommy, a boy who discovers a magical stone that lets him experience life as various forest animals. It's a gentle story that explores nature and empathy through imaginative animal transformations, suitable for ages 9 to 12. The book contains no intense content and encourages appreciation for wildlife and self-discovery.
Why we rated Tommy and the wishing stone 9C
Tommy and the wishing stone is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 110 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tommy and the wishing stone works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Tommy and the wishing stone as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Tommy and the wishing stone explores nature, forest animals, adventure, and juvenile fiction — 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 nature, forest animals, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780984765027
- Pages
- 110
- Publisher
- National Review Books
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction