And Now a Word from Our Sponsor
Dorothy Hoobler
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Story of the Roaring '20s Girl
by Dorothy Hoobler
Illustrated by Richard Leer
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The crackle of the radio fills the cozy room, mixing with the scent of fresh-baked bread from the kitchen. Fran Parker’s world buzzes with exciting new sounds and sights, from airplanes soaring overhead to voices coming through the airwaves. As she steps up to enter a radio contest, her heart races with hope and a little bit of wonder.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in 1920s Overton, Ohio, this gentle story follows Fran Parker and her family's experiences with new technologies like the radio and airplane. It captures themes of family life and adapting to change, suitable for early readers aged 5-8. The book offers a warm, historical glimpse into everyday life without intense or challenging content.
Why we rated And Now a Word from Our Sponsor 8C
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor is written at a Level 3 reading level across 64 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, And Now a Word from Our Sponsor works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate And Now a Word from Our Sponsor as 8C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, And Now a Word from Our Sponsor explores family, contests, historical, fiction, and children's all ages — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, contests, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Based on content and theme analysis
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780382243509
- Pages
- 64
- Publisher
- Silver Burdett Press
- Published
- May 1993
- Type
- Fiction