Classics · Inkheart
Inkheart: what age is it for, 8 or 9?
4 min read4 sources
Cornelia Funke's Inkheart is a long novel about a girl whose father can read characters out of books. Two sources give slightly different ages for it, and both are right.
Here's what the publisher and BookTrust say, why they differ, and how to decide for your child.
In brief
- 9+, according to the UK publisher Chicken House, for the edition translated by Anthea Bell.1
- Interest age 8+ and reading age 9+, according to BookTrust.2
- Two kinds of age. BookTrust often separates when a story appeals from when a child can read it alone.3 The reading age of nine fits the second.
- A finalist for the American BookSense Book of the Year award for children's literature in 2004, according to Wikipedia.4
What the book is about
Meggie lives with her father Mo, a bookbinder. One night a stranger knocks at the door, and Meggie learns that when her father reads aloud, characters can step out of the book, and someone from our world disappears into it.
The villains who came out of a book years ago want Mo's gift for themselves. What follows is a long, dark adventure about the power of stories and the love between a father and daughter.
At eight, and at nine
At eight, together. The story appeals from eight, as BookTrust says. It's long, and some villains are genuinely frightening: read together, a chapter at a time, it works.
At nine, alone. The publisher's age fits a child who can manage a long novel on their own and cope with its darker moments.
A book for book lovers. Every chapter opens with a quotation from another book. For a child who loves reading, it's an invitation to many more.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Inkheart for?
Chicken House, the UK publisher, says 9+; BookTrust gives an interest age of 8+ and a reading age of 9+. From eight it works read together; from nine, many children can manage it alone.
Is Inkheart scary?
Some of the villains are frightening, and there's real danger. For a sensitive child of eight or nine, reading it together is a good idea.
Who translated Inkheart into English?
Anthea Bell translated the English edition, published in the UK by Chicken House in 2003, according to Wikipedia.
Is Inkheart part of a series?
Yes. It's the first book of the Inkheart trilogy.
Sources
- 1.Chicken House: Inkheart, Inkheart Trilogy Book 1.What it confirms: The age guidance 9+; Anthea Bell as translator; the first book of the trilogy.
- 2.BookTrust Bookfinder: Inkheart.What it confirms: Interest age 8+ and reading age 9+.
- 3.BookTrust Bookfinder.What it confirms: Books listed with two ages, an interest age and a reading age.
- 4.Wikipedia: Inkheart.What it confirms: The English edition by Chicken House (UK) in 2003, translated by Anthea Bell; finalist of the 2004 BookSense Book of the Year Award for Children's Literature.
A word about us
A child who steps into a story
Inkheart is about the dream of every reader: stepping into a book.
At Sagalino, your child becomes the hero of a story with their name, in one of our 21 illustration styles. You read the whole story for free, and only pay afterwards.
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