Camping

Name: Camping
Author: Julie K. Lundgren
ISBN: 9781621698609

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Julie K. Lundgren

Fun Sports for Fitness

Reading Level 5 VS · Very Intense · Social Ages 9-12 Heads Up Page-Turner

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is very intense with mature or graphic material. Its HootRating code, VS, means very intense content, mostly social.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible Find on Bookshop.org

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

Discover the thrills and challenges of camping as young adventurers face unexpected dangers in the wilderness. This gripping tale explores bravery, friendship, and survival amidst difficult and serious situations. Prepare for a story that goes beyond the usual outdoor fun to reveal deeper struggles.

Themes

Adventure Survival Friendship Family

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5 book with very intense content intensity. Note: content intensity (Very Intense) exceeds what the reading level might suggest. Content themes include abusive parents, sexual assault, rape mentioned. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Camping VS (Very Intense)

Camping is written at a Level 5 reading level across 24 pages (approximately 1,177 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Camping on their own.

Read aloud, Camping takes about 8 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Camping as VS (Very Intense, mostly social) because the content sits in the "Very Intense" range — very intense or graphic content — peril, violence, trauma, or mature themes treated head-on. The strongest signals come from social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Abusive Parents, Sexual Assault, Rape Mentioned, Drug Use, Sexual Content.

Thematically, Camping explores adventure, survival, friendship, and family — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, survival, friendship.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Fun Sports for Fitness series.
✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

Maybe not for

! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
! Children younger than 9 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic reading-level-vs-content mismatch.

For Parents

Content Intensity

VS · Very Intense · Social

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Very Intense ←

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Graphic or sustained depictions of trauma, violence, or mature content.