Will in scarlet

Name: Will in scarlet
Author: Matthew Cody
ISBN: 9780375868955

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Matthew Cody

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th 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, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Will is no ordinary boy—he’s a future lord forced into exile in the wild Sherwood Forest. There, he meets the legendary Robin Hood and the Merry Men, joining a daring band of outlaws fighting to reclaim his home. But when danger lurks at every turn, will Will prove he’s more than just a noble name?

Themes

Adventure Friendship Historical Fantasy World-Building Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

Set in 12th-century England, this middle-grade adventure follows 13-year-old Will, who is exiled to Sherwood Forest and teams up with Robin Hood and his band to reclaim his rightful home. The story features themes of friendship, bravery, and justice, suitable for readers aged 9-12. It contains mild peril typical of adventure tales but no graphic content.

Why we rated Will in scarlet LE (Mild)

Will in scarlet is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 260 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Will in scarlet on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Will in scarlet as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) 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, Will in scarlet explores adventure, friendship, historical, fantasy world-building, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, historical.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

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.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?