Busted
Dan Gemeinhart
Busted
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Dan Gemeinhart
The text is written at a 7th 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
Oscar sneaks through the retirement home, heart pounding. He's about to break an old mobster out of his room—because if he doesn't, his grandpa's home might be lost forever. But what if the plan goes sideways the very first step?
Quick Assessment
Busted is a middle-grade adventure about 12-year-old Oscar, who embarks on a daring mission to save his grandpa's retirement home. Combining humor, action, and themes of family and growing up, this book is suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note the story includes mild peril, gambling scenarios, and some mild language related to the mobster theme, all handled with lightheartedness.
Why we rated Busted 12LE
Busted is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Busted works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Busted as 12LE ("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, Busted explores family, adventure, humor, and coming of age — 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 family, adventure, humor.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250378361
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- Henry Holt Books For Young Readers
- Published
- 28 October 2025
- Type
- Fiction