Another kind of hurricane

Name: Another kind of hurricane
Author: Tamara Ellis Smith
ISBN: 9780553511932

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tamara Ellis Smith

Reading Level 3 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Henry stands at the edge of the mountain, clutching a photo of his best friend who’s gone. Far away, Zavion watches storm clouds roll in, remembering the day his home disappeared. What will happen when their worlds collide?

Themes

GriefSurvival Friendship FamilyNatural Disaster

Quick Assessment

A Vermont boy grieving his best friend's sudden death travels to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, where he meets a boy who lost his home to Hurricane Katrina and was forced to flee to Baton Rouge. The story follows both boys as they search for a marble and help each other heal, and it handles death, grief, and displacement with emotional weight but without graphic detail. Parents should expect sad moments about a child's death and the disruption of Katrina, balanced by hope and connection.

Why we rated Another kind of hurricane ME (Moderate)

Another kind of hurricane is written at a Level 3 reading level across 326 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Another kind of hurricane on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Another kind of hurricane as ME (Moderate, mostly 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 — 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 moderate intensity score.

Thematically, Another kind of hurricane explores grief, survival, friendship, family, and natural disaster — 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, survival, friendship.

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

ME · Moderate · 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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

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