Breakout! (Classified)
Terry Deary
Breakout! (Classified)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Terry Deary
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be locked away with secrets that could change the world? Mike knows what it’s like—he’s been in jail since 1977 for stealing top-secret spy satellite information. But what really happened behind those prison walls? That’s a story waiting to be uncovered.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This fictional story follows Mike, a man imprisoned for stealing classified spy satellite secrets and selling them to the Russians. Told through his conversations with a cellmate, the book explores themes of espionage and justice in a way accessible to early readers. Suitable for ages 5-8, the content lightly touches on crime and imprisonment without graphic detail.
Why we rated Breakout! (Classified) 8LE
Breakout! (Classified) is written at a Level 3 reading level across 89 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Breakout! (Classified) works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate Breakout! (Classified) as 8LE ("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, Breakout! (Classified) explores juvenile unexplained phenomena and wonders, juvenile nonfiction, children: grades 4-6, friendship, and mystery — 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 juvenile unexplained phenomena and wonders, juvenile nonfiction, children: grades 4-6.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780753458266
- Pages
- 89
- Publisher
- Kingfisher
- Published
- September 9, 2004
- Type
- Fiction