Reading level 9-12 ... ha! A 9 to 12 year old can certainly read and enjoy this, but so can this 53 year old. IfI EVER get too old for LMA, go ahead and start digging.
What a delightful, gentle story. I would recommend it to all children and everyone else who thinks they would enjoy a break of the dark, intense, complex novels we most often read. This is a story of innocence and of children, but there is certainly some mystery that gives it a bit of tension. The characters are authentic, including the poodle! I rate everything I read on a 1-5 system and this one got a rare five.