Web of lies
Beverley Naidoo
Web of lies
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Beverley Naidoo
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
Femi ducks behind a dumpster as voices shout nearby — the gang is closing in. His heart races because one wrong move could send him and his family back to a place they’re desperate to escape. But what will Femi do when the lies start to stack up?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Femi, a Nigerian refugee navigating the challenges of life in England while caught up with a dangerous gang. It explores themes of family loyalty, the risks of crime, and the refugee experience, appropriate for ages 9-12 with mature topics handled sensitively. Parents should be aware of depictions of gang involvement and the stress of immigration struggles.
Why we rated Web of lies 11ME
Web of lies is written at a Level 6 reading level across 243 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Web of lies works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Web of lies 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Gang Involvement, Legal Trouble, Refugee Experience.
Thematically, Web of lies explores refugees, family, gangs, conduct of life, and multicultural — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about refugees, family, gangs.
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
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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780060760755
- Pages
- 243
- Publisher
- Amistad
- Published
- 2006
- Type
- Fiction