Age rating and parents' guide:The Village by the Sea
by Anita Desai
Ages 9–13
The Village by the Sea by Anita Desai is best for children aged 9–13. It has mild violence, a few mildly scary moments, no romance and no bad language. Worth knowing: Poverty, illness, parental alcohol misuse and family separation; older readers only.
Lila and Hari navigate family hardship and change in a coastal Maharashtra village.
Content ratings
How much of each a parent can expect, from none to strong.
- Violence
- Mild
- Scary moments
- Mild
- Romance
- None
- Bad language
- None
Worth knowing: Poverty, illness, parental alcohol misuse and family separation; older readers only.
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken, on .
At a glance
- Novel
- A steady start that picks up quickly
- Mostly text
- Emotionally light
- Indian author, setting or story
Great for kids who like
- Nature & outdoors
- Indian stories
Reading mood
- Thoughtful
Good to talk about
- Family
- Survival & resilience
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