What reading level is Big game?

Big game by Stuart Gibbs is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 740L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Big game appropriate for?

Big game is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is Big game?

Big game is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does Big game have any content warnings?

Big game has a HootRating of 9LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Big game?

Big game by Stuart Gibbs is 342 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

Big game

Stuart Gibbs

Big game

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Stuart Gibbs

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Here's a secret: FunJungle's rare Asian greater one-horned rhinoceros is in danger, and nobody knows who the hunter is. Twelve-year-old Teddy Fitzroy is determined to solve the mystery before it's too late—but that's only the beginning.

Themes

Detective and mystery storiesZoosEndangered speciesPoachingJuvenile fiction

Quick Assessment

Big Game is a middle-grade mystery featuring a young detective who investigates threats to an endangered rhinoceros in a zoo setting. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it introduces themes of wildlife conservation and poaching in an accessible way without graphic content.

Why we rated Big game 9LE

Big game is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 740L across 342 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Big game works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Big game as 9LE ("Light — 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, Big game explores detective and mystery stories, zoos, endangered species, poaching, and juvenile fiction — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about detective and mystery stories, zoos, endangered species.