A year in the life of a complete and total genius

Name: A year in the life of a complete and total genius
Author: Stacey Matson
ISBN: 9781492620747

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Stacey Matson

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The scratch of Arthur's pen fills the quiet room, weaving stories that are as loud as his thoughts. His words dance across pages, stirring laughs and a little trouble too. Sometimes, being a genius feels lonely—but Arthur’s journey is just beginning.

Themes

GriefJunior high schoolsDatingAuthorshipFriendship Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Arthur Bean, a young boy navigating grief, school challenges, and budding social dynamics through his writing. Told through letters, emails, and notes, it offers a heartfelt and humorous look at a child's creative mind and the complexities of growing up. Suitable for ages 9 to 12, it thoughtfully touches on themes of loss, friendship, and self-expression without heavy content.

Why we rated A year in the life of a complete and total genius LE (Mild)

A year in the life of a complete and total genius is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 267 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage A year in the life of a complete and total genius on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate A year in the life of a complete and total genius as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, A year in the life of a complete and total genius explores grief, junior high schools, dating, authorship, and friendship — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about grief, junior high schools, dating.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?