Bad Guys #20

Name: Bad Guys #20
Author: Aaron Blabey
ISBN: 9781546111801

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Aaron Blabey

Bad Guys (Scholastic)

Reading Level 2-3 C · Gentle Ages 5-8 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Meet a group of funny, misunderstood characters who try their best to be heroes, even when things don’t go as planned. Filled with laughs and wild adventures, this final chapter brings their story to an exciting close. Perfect for young readers who love action and humor!

Themes

Friendship Humor Adventure Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 2-3 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 5-8.

Why we rated Bad Guys #20 C (Gentle)

Bad Guys #20 is written at a Level 2-3 reading level (approximately 2,044 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 3 and up can manage Bad Guys #20 on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Bad Guys #20 takes about 14 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Bad Guys #20 as C (Gentle) 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, Bad Guys #20 explores friendship, humor, adventure, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, humor, adventure.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 20 more books in the Bad Guys (Scholastic) series.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

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