Wild Bill Hickok

Name: Wild Bill Hickok
Author: Joseph G. Rosa
ISBN: 0823966321

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Joseph G. Rosa

PowerPlus Books; Library of American Lives and Times

Reading Level 8-9 LP · Mild · Physical Ages 9-12 Sweet Spot Page-Turner

The text is written at an 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

Follow the thrilling journey of William 'Wild Bill' Hickok, a famous sharpshooter and U.S. marshal of the Wild West. Experience his adventures as he keeps peace on the frontier and becomes a legendary figure in American history. Perfect for readers curious about the exciting and rugged life of the Old West.

Themes

Historical AdventureFrontier and pioneer lifePeace officers

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 8-9 book with mild content intensity. It's a Sweet Spot read — challenging text with gentle themes, ideal for advanced or 2e readers. Content themes include mild peril, historical. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Wild Bill Hickok LP (Mild)

Wild Bill Hickok is written at a Level 8-9 reading level across 112 pages (approximately 13,922 words). Middle Grades (Ages 9-12) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

Read aloud, Wild Bill Hickok runs about 1.6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Wild Bill Hickok as LP (Mild, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Historical.

Thematically, Wild Bill Hickok explores historical, adventure, frontier and pioneer life, and peace officers — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, adventure, frontier and pioneer life.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 2 more books in the PowerPlus Books; Library of American Lives and Times series.
✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LP · Mild · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Mild ←

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.