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Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson

Cover of Treasure Island

Treasure Island

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Reading Level 8 12LP Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 8th 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 a simple treasure map could change a boy's life forever? Imagine sailing across the ocean, chasing buried gold, only to find out that the crew might not be your friends but dangerous pirates! Can Jim outsmart them all before it's too late?

Themes

AdventureFriendshipComing of AgePiratesBuried TreasureFiction

Quick Assessment

This classic adventure follows Jim Hawkins, a young boy who discovers a treasure map and embarks on a perilous journey to find hidden riches. Along the way, he faces cunning pirates and must use his wits to survive. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story contains mild peril and themes of bravery and friendship, with no graphic content.

Why we rated Treasure Island 12LP

Treasure Island is written at a Level 8 reading level across 418 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Treasure Island works for readers up to grade 10.0.

We rate Treasure Island as 12LP ("Light — Physical") 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, Treasure Island explores adventure, friendship, coming of age, pirates, and buried treasure — 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, friendship, coming of age.

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

12LP — Light — Physical
Emotional
Light
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
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
7
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

418 pages
ISBN
9781080041961
Pages
418
Publisher
Independently Published
Published
2019
Type
Fiction

Subjects

Adventure and AdventurersBuried TreasureCaribbean AreaPirates