What reading level is the Collins Big Cat series?

The Collins Big Cat series by Vivian French is at a Grades 3.7–4.6 reading level (average Grade 4.3). Intended for Lower Grades (Ages 5–8). There are 4 books in the series.

What order should I read the Collins Big Cat books?

The Collins Big Cat series has 4 books in order: 1. Aladdin and the Genies: Band 14/Ruby (Collins Big Cat), 2. The Railway Children, 3. The Stubborn Prince, 4. The Tinderbox.

What age is the Collins Big Cat series appropriate for?

The Collins Big Cat series is recommended for Lower Grades (Ages 5–8). The average content intensity is 2/5.

Collins Big Cat Books in Order

4 books by Vivian French. Reading level: Grades 3.7–4.6. Lower Grades (Ages 5–8).

Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Collins Big Cat (4 books by Vivian French) lands at reading level Grades 3.7–4.6, with average content intensity 2/5.

The reading-order table below lists every book with per-volume reading level and intensity badges so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.

Books

Grades 3.7–4.6

Reading Level

2/5

Avg. Intensity

Lower Grades

Content Intensity Across the Series

Varies

Content intensity ranges from Gentle to Moderate across the series.

First book Latest book

Collins Big Cat Reading Order

#	Title	Reading Level	Content
1	Aladdin and the Genies: Band 14/Ruby (Collins Big Cat) Vivian French	Level 3-4	Mild
2	The Railway Children Edith Nesbit	Level 4-5	Moderate
3	The Stubborn Prince Unknown	Level 4-5	Gentle
4	The Tinderbox Hans Christian Andersen, Stephen Mitchell, Bagram Ibatoulline	Level 4-5	Mild

All Collins Big Cat Books

Aladdin and the Genies: Band 14/Ruby (Collins Big Cat)

Vivian French

Aladdin and the Genies: Band 14/Ruby (Collins Big Cat)

Vivian French

Level 3-4

The Railway Children

Edith Nesbit

The Railway Children

Edith Nesbit

Level 4-5

The Stubborn Prince

Unknown

The Stubborn Prince

Unknown

Level 4-5

The Tinderbox

Hans Christian Andersen, Stephen Mitchell, Bagram Ibatoulline

The Tinderbox

Hans Christian Andersen, Stephen Mitchell, Bagram Ibatoulline

Level 4-5 Mild

Questions about the Collins Big Cat series

What reading level is the Collins Big Cat series?: The Collins Big Cat series by Vivian French is at a Grades 3.7–4.6 reading level (average Grade 4.3). Intended for Lower Grades (Ages 5–8). There are 4 books in the series.
What order should I read the Collins Big Cat books?: The reading-order table above lists all 4 books with per-volume reading level and intensity ratings. Start with book 1 and read in publication order unless the table indicates a different recommended order for newer readers.
What age is the Collins Big Cat series appropriate for?: The Collins Big Cat series is recommended for Lower Grades (Ages 5–8). The average content intensity is 2/5. Check the intensity trajectory above to see whether content gets heavier across the series — if it does, sensitive readers may want to stop earlier in the run.