Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories)
Jon T Cox
Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Story
by Jon T Cox
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Crazy Man stares into the shimmering water, sure he sees juicy plums floating just beneath the surface. He reaches out, but the plums slip away—are they real or just a trick? Suddenly, Crazy Man’s wild adventure takes an unexpected turn!
Quick Assessment
This traditional Northern Arapaho tale follows Crazy Man as he mistakes reflections in the water for plums, leading to a humorous and meaningful story about perception and reality. Designed for readers aged 9 to 18, it features engaging watercolor illustrations and cultural storytelling that reflects Native American heritage. The book is gentle and suitable for middle-grade readers, with themes of humor and adventure.
Why we rated Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories) 7C
Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories) is written at a Level 2 reading level across 32 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories) works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories) as 7C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Crazy Man& the Plums (Wind River Stories) explores multicultural, adventure, humor, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about multicultural, adventure, humor.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780975980613
- Pages
- 32
- Publisher
- Painted Pony Incorporated
- Published
- April 30, 2005
- Type
- Fiction