What reading level is the Keeper of the Lost Cities series?

Keeper of the Lost Cities books are at a grades 5–6 reading level (average grade level 5.5), and HootRated recommends the series for ages 9–12. There are 9 books in the series.

What order should I read the Keeper of the Lost Cities books?

Read the Keeper of the Lost Cities books in series order: Book 1: Keeper of the Lost Cities; Book 2: Exile; Book 3: Everblaze; Book 4: Neverseen; Book 5: Keeper of the Lost Cities; and 4 more.

What age is the Keeper of the Lost Cities series appropriate for?

HootRated recommends Keeper of the Lost Cities for ages 9–12. Content is mild to intense (HootRated intensity 2–4 out of 5). Intensity varies from book to book, so check individual ratings in the list above.

Keeper of the Lost Cities Books in Order

Keeper of the Lost Cities is a 9-book series by Shannon Messenger for ages 9–12, at a grades 5–6 reading level, with mild to intense content (HootRated intensity 2–4 out of 5).

Books: 9; In series order
Reading level: Grades 5–6; Average grade level 5.5
Recommended ages: Ages 9–12; From HootRated age ratings
Content intensity: Mild to intense; HootRated 2–4 out of 5 · avg 2.6

Keeper of the Lost Cities Reading Order

All 9 Keeper of the Lost Cities books, numbered in series order.

#	Title	Reading Level	Ages	Content
1	Keeper of the Lost Cities	Level 5-6	9-12	Mild
2	Exile 2013	Level 5-6	9-12	Mild
3	Everblaze	Level 5-6	9-12	Moderate
4	Neverseen	Level 5-6	9-12	Moderate
5	Keeper of the Lost Cities 2012	Level 5-6	9-12	Intense
6	Nightfall	Level 5-6	9-12	Mild
7	Flashback	Level 5-6	9-12	Moderate
8	Legacy Keeper of the Lost Cities #8 2019	Level 5-6	9-12	Mild
9	Stellarlune	Level 5-6	9-12	Mild

Content Intensity Across the Series

Varies

Content intensity ranges from Mild to Intense across the series.

First book Latest book

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. Keeper of the Lost Cities (9 books by Shannon Messenger) lands at a grades 5–6 reading level, with average content intensity 2.6/5. Intensity varies from book to book, so check individual ratings in the list above.

The reading-order table above lists every book with per-volume reading level, age and intensity ratings 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.

All Keeper of the Lost Cities Books

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Shannon Messenger