Call me Al Raft
Shaw, Richard
Call me Al Raft
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Shaw, Richard
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: Al Raft has always wondered about the father he never knew. What if finding him turns everything upside down? But that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction follows Al as he embarks on a journey to find his biological father in California. The story explores themes of family and identity appropriate for ages 9 to 12, with gentle emotional challenges but no intense content.
Why we rated Call me Al Raft 9LE
Call me Al Raft is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 128 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Call me Al Raft works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Call me Al Raft 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, Call me Al Raft explores fathers and sons, family, coming of age, and california — 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 fathers and sons, family, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 0840764642
- Pages
- 128
- Publisher
- Thomas Nelson Publishers
- Published
- 1975
- Type
- Fiction