Bites back
Landry Q. Walker
Bites back
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Landry Q. Walker
Illustrated by Zoo, Keith, illustrator
The text is written at a 6th 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
Elara Adele Vaughn races through the halls of the Seven Systems Academy, dodging a mysterious time-hopper bent on chaos. Her friends scramble to keep up, but can they stop the galactic order from collapsing? Just when Elara thinks things can't get weirder, the adventure takes an unexpected twist.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade sci-fi adventure follows Elara Adele Vaughn as she navigates her second year at a space academy focused on terraforming. Combining humor with real scientific concepts, the story features themes of friendship and teamwork amid thrilling escapades. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains mild peril but no graphic content.
Why we rated Bites back 11LE
Bites back is written at a Level 6 reading level across 227 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Bites back works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Bites back as 11LE ("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, Bites back explores humor, adventure, science & nature, friendship, and fantasy world-building — 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 humor, adventure, science & nature.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780515157949
- Pages
- 227
- Publisher
- Penguin Workshop
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction