A 52-hertz whale
Bill Sommer
A 52-hertz whale
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Bill Sommer
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The ocean hums with a strange, lonely song — a whale's call unlike any other. Dive into the mysterious sounds that connect a boy tracking a lost humpback whale and a filmmaker with a broken heart. Their journey is full of surprises, laughter, and the quiet hope that maybe, just maybe, no one is truly alone.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of loneliness, connection, and personal growth through the story of a boy tracking a unique whale and his unexpected friendship with a young filmmaker. Suitable for ages 9-12, it touches on emotional challenges including mental health and family dynamics, portrayed with humor and sensitivity. Parents should note some mature themes such as drug smuggling and restraining orders are presented in a context appropriate for upper elementary readers.
Why we rated A 52-hertz whale 9ME
A 52-hertz whale is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 197 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A 52-hertz whale works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate A 52-hertz whale as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Drug Use, Restraining Orders, Emotional Challenges.
Thematically, A 52-hertz whale explores friendship, coming of age, family, humor, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781467779173
- Pages
- 197
- Publisher
- Carolrhoda Lab ®
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction