What Age Group Is Mr. Lemoncello'S Library Novel Suitable For?

Forget chronological age, and think about the reader’s overall reading experience. Does the child read other mid-to-long length fantasy books? If so, she’s already a reader of ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Percy Jackson’ or ‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ books and will enjoy ‘Nevermoor’. Zana Fraillon’s writing is probably a little more descriptive and full of fantasy than Rick Riordan’s but the chapters are short and the hooks are strong. This is a great ‘first thick book’ for children new to reading longer novels. Typically this would be a 9-10 year old reader but a very confident and voracious 8 year old reader would also enjoy it. It’s a great book to help build a child’s confidence in reading longer novels.

My book club, a group of people in their 30s and 40s, had an interesting and often heated discussion about the end of the book. The ending provided hope for the future but also seemed realistic in that Yunjae might only be changing to better fit in and be accepted by others. Or perhaps he had really changed. The book did a great job of sparking discussion about the ending, and it provided many different interpretations of it. The ending of the book is hopeful for younger readers, but for older readers it highlights the ongoing struggles that individuals face. The book supports both viewpoints and is therefore a book that will be able to be read by many different audiences and provide something for each of them on subsequent reads.

This is controversial but essentially it’s better for adults with difficult childhoods. It gives them a model of a healthy, playful, emotionally available parent. So for a five year old it’s fun but for a 35 year old struggling with issues of their own from their childhood it can be therapeutic. It opens up a whole new age range of people who would benefit from seeing a model of secure attachment in action. And that has a value far beyond preschoolers. It’s got value for anyone who wants to see what a supportive and playful family looks like.

I consider the publisher (Tor) to publish mostly adult fantasy. The main character in this novel is forty-ish. I’d expect this to be marketed as an ‘Adult’ novel, though. On the other hand, Klune’s writing is infused with the sense of the children’s classics such as The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by fundraisers for poor orphan children who find a home at last. So that’s a universally appealing read for a mature 12-year-old+ reading for the magical orphan’s tale or 30s+ reader and utter comfort read of mine for any age reading it as a wonderful ‘feel good’ read. I consider the upper bound to be limitless. Romance is gentle, highly emotional and centred on connection. So while this could be read by a younger reader who isn’t easily disturbed by more graphic content, it is highly suitable for readers of 13+ and of any age who are willing to read a novel that is premised on kindness, celebrating difference and even finding great joy in the simple things like having a cup of tea. It’s not a novel for people who only read ‘gritty realism’ with a healthy dose of moral ambiguity though.

My two cents: Stop worrying about the age of kids and let them read whatever they’re interested in. If they find a book too hard or boring, they’ll put it down. But if they love it, that’s great. ‘Heidi’ has captivated children of all cultures and languages for 140 years. It’s got a timeless core – children love nature, want a home of their own, and love to be kind. That’s accessible to a very wide range of kids. The specific prose of the story may pose problems for some young readers, but the core of the story is ageless. Just trust the natural curiosity of kids and not some arbitrary age.

Consider the interests of the child you are buying for. Does she like to dig in the dirt, build forts or make models with Lego? If she is this age and loves to think about things and how they work then ‘Stig’ could be a great read from as young as 6 years old. Older children who are into fast-paced fantasy or sci-fi may find ‘Stig’ slightly dull until they are around 10 or 11 years old and can appreciate the subtle commentary. A book for the curious and very observational child who loves to think about where people belong in the world. I said this isn’t a blockbuster book, but the best children’s book of all time (it’s mine anyway). Knowing this can help you work out the right age. Some children are ready to read character-driven novels with very little action at the age of 7, others at 12. So look at their reading diet and see if they read other novels about real kids in somewhat unusual circumstances. My two favorites are The Secret Garden and Tom’s Midnight Garden.

The adult reader is a huge factor in determining whether this is a good read for a 10 year old or not. This is a fantastic family read or classroom read-aloud and discussion for kids this age. Read a chapter at night and then talk about daemons, who Dust might be, and why the Magisterium would be so afraid of this particular daemon. While a 10 year old reader may get ‘lost’ in the story or become scared of some of the content, they will be ‘guided’ by the adult reader. This will enable them to enjoy the ‘adventure’ of the story and to begin to consider some of the bigger philosophical ideas contained within the text. Thus while the book may not be suitable for a 10 year old reader on their own, it can be introduced to a 10 year old reader at an early age as part of a shared intellectual adventure with the adult reader. The book becomes suitable for the child’s age as well as for their reading age within the context of the adult reader.

I compared it to The Handmaid’s Tale and Cinder in the blurb. Cinderella Is Dead is in the middle grade range, while The Handmaid’s Tale is an 18+ read due to its extreme realism and graphic content. I aimed to write a YA protagonist’s story with a similar tone to that of The Handmaid’s Tale, but a more hopeful and conclusive ending. Therefore, while The Handmaid’s Tale is a 18+ read, I’d consider Cinderella Is Dead to be a 15+ read, with a similar thematic content but in a fantasy setting. The main audience for this book would be teens who can see cracks in the fantastical stories that are presented to them in order to understand the world.

I was wondering if Journey to the Center of the Earth would be a book for kids, for teens, or for grown-ups. In short, the answer is yes. Of course, some books are better for younger readers than for older ones, and Journey to the Center of the Earth is no exception. If you want to read a fast, thrilling adventure story, then get an illustrated edition of Journey to the Center of the Earth for upper-elementary school kids (about 7-11 years old). On the other hand, if you want to read Jules Verne’s own words, then the book will be perfect for pre-teens and teenagers (about 12 and older) who can appreciate Verne’s long descriptions of people, places, things, his 19th century science, and his writing style in general. An abridged version of Journey to the Center of the Earth (which includes many fun illustrations) that I read to my 7 year old younger cousin was such a fun adventure that we had reading it together. We finished off a rather long book in what seemed like a day of reading. The slower parts where Verne was explaining the geology were taken out and this really made the book zip by. My first read of the fully uncut translation in High School was also very fun and satisfying, however required a lot of patience as Verne explains much of the science behind his ideas and also gives a great deal of background into the worldview of his time. It made a great read however for someone who wanted to really explore the work in great detail (as I did when I first read it). Today however I would say that readers of long descriptions really need to be ‘hooked’ to keep reading – and if not then get them a graphic novel version, or even an illustrated version of Journey to the Center of the Earth. It would also be a good read for someone looking to explore the many questions behind the scenes of the spirit of discovery, as well as the science and hubris behind it. Most of all, it will depend on the scope of the reading support you are able to provide your child with. While upper-elementary school children may be able to enjoy an illustrated Journey to the Center of the Earth adventure, retold for their age group, many 10- to 13-year-old readers will benefit from lightly edited full-length texts and even maps, or notes. Older 14+ readers can enjoy Verne’s complete adventures with their peers, reading critically as they analyze the text’s shortcomings in terms of historical science and 19th-century culture. Pairing Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth with short film clips about volcanoes, or even following along on a tour through an imaginative subterranean world as he has described it in the 19th century, are perhaps the best techniques of all to foster a love of reading ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ among all ages of readers. And to start, it’s always better to choose the shortest, lightest first version, illustrated if needed – with the promise of returning to a full-length unabridged edition later. Just as with so many great novels, you’ll find that upon re-reading it after some time has elapsed, you will discover so much more, even new layers, hidden between the lines in the original work itself.

The humor in these books is also another key element to their appropriateness. I mean, something that makes kids laugh and makes them happy is going to engage them even more so than something that is not as funny. In my opinion, the jokes and humorous comments about ancient Greek myths that Percy comments on are often pretty funny, although not all of them are. A 12-year-old would get a kick out of a comment about Ares, the Greek god of war, riding around on a motorcycle with leather and wearing wraparound shades, but a 7-year-old would probably not get the difference between ancient myths and modern culture. So while the content is appropriate for younger readers, the full enjoyment of the humor would be suited for readers between the ages of 10 and 14.