Dickens & Rumi

book

Tom Swift and His Airship

Howard Roger Garis · 1910

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Tom Swift and His Airship by Howard Roger Garis. This book is recommended for ages 9+; content notes include Frightening scenes, Violence, Products & advertising; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Creativity & curiosity.

Ages 9+Source checked

Why this age? Best suited to middle-grade readers who can handle peril, captures, threats, and dated language or social attitudes. The adventure is generally not sexually explicit or graphically violent. This is guidance, not a safety guarantee; reading level and family context may differ.

Show Wikipedia summary

Open to load a short Wikipedia summary.

Quick view

At a glance

Recommended age9+

Strongest cautions

  • Frightening scenes2/5
  • Violence2/5
  • Products & advertising1/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience4/5
  • Creativity & curiosity4/5
  • Good role models3/5

What’s in it?

Products & advertising1/5
Why this rating?

No modern product placement; mentions of general mechanical parts are non-commercial.

Strong language1/5
Why this rating?

Language is period-appropriate and mild.

Frightening scenes2/5
Why this rating?

Airship dangers, villainous schemes, escapes, and suspense may worry younger readers, but the adventure framing keeps the material from being strongly frightening.

Violence2/5
Why this rating?

Features mild conflict with rivals, typically involving scuffles or chases, but nothing graphic or intense.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5
Why this rating?

Tom shows consistent bravery when testing his inventions and facing obstacles.

Creativity & curiosity4/5
Why this rating?

Central theme is the creative application of engineering to overcome complex problems.

Educational value2/5
Why this rating?

Inspires interest in engineering and mechanics, though the scientific accuracy is dated.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Characters display mutual respect and camaraderie throughout their ventures.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

Promotes ingenuity, hard work, perseverance, and ethical problem-solving.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Tom is an enterprising, intelligent, and proactive protagonist.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. Which moment felt most tense or frightening? What helped the characters handle fear?
  3. Which choice in Tom Swift and His Airship would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Tom Swift and His Airship, and what caused that change?
Discuss this title with other parents

Community reactions

What families noticed

Add your perspective

Sign in from the homepage to rate this title.

Where to get it

Find in a libraryBuy on Bookshop.orgBuy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate and Bookshop.org affiliate, Dickens & Rumi may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

If you liked this

Try something nearby

Related by age fit, format, and catalogue context.

You’re hereTom Swift and His Airship
I AM HARRIET TUBMANBrad MeltzerAges 6+Ragweed and PoppyAvi · 2020Ages 8+I AM GEORGE WASHINGTONBrad MeltzerAges 6+Lord Kirkle's MoneyAvi · 1996Ages 10+

These content notes are a starting point, not a guarantee. Review the evidence and use your own judgment before choosing a title.

Report an incorrect rating