Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors

Name: Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors
Author: Martin Harry Greenberg, Charles Gordon Waugh
ISBN: 0836828593

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Martin Harry Greenberg, Charles Gordon Waugh

Newbery Authors Collection

Reading Level 5-6 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Discover a lively mix of captivating tales penned by celebrated Newbery Award winners like Lois Lenski, Charles Boardman Hawes, and Elizabeth Coatsworth. Each story invites young readers on a journey filled with imagination and heartfelt moments, paired with intriguing insights into the lives of the authors behind the words.

Themes

Children's storiesAmericanShort storiesLiterary Biography

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors C (Gentle)

Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 160 pages (approximately 39,061 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors runs about 4.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors as C (Gentle) 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, Dancing Tom and other selections by Newbery authors explores children's stories, american, short stories, and literary biography — 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about children's stories, american, short stories.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 8 more books in the Newbery Authors Collection series.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?