Also known as

Name: Also known as
Author: Robin Benway
ISBN: 9780802733900

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robin Benway

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

What if you discovered a secret world where spies hide in plain sight, and every friend might be an adventurer? Imagine sneaking through school halls with a mission that could change everything. But what if the biggest secret is still waiting to be uncovered?

Themes

AdventureSpiesFriendship HumorSchool Life

Quick Assessment

Maggie, a teen safecracker raised by international spy parents, is sent to a New York private school on her first solo assignment and must balance crime-solving with fitting in among classmates. The caper is fast-paced and mostly light, with some danger, tense moments of near-discovery, and a developing crush that stays innocent. It suits readers who enjoy spy stories and friendship-focused high school settings.

Why we rated Also known as LE (Mild)

Also known as is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 310 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Also known as 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. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

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

Thematically, Also known as explores adventure, spies, friendship, humor, and school life — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, spies, friendship.

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

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

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?