DeSastre & Total
Stephan Pastis
DeSastre & Total
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Stephan Pastis
Timmy Failure; DeSastre & Total
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Meet Timmy Failure, a comically confident young detective who runs the top detective agency in town with his huge, lovable polar bear partner, Total. Together, they stumble through amusing investigations filled with laugh-out-loud moments and surprising twists. This quirky, illustrated adventure blends humor and heart, making every page a delightful read.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 3-4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated DeSastre & Total 8C
DeSastre & Total is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 302 pages (approximately 22,385 words). Strong independent readers around grade 4.1 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, DeSastre & Total works for readers up to grade 5.1.
Read aloud, DeSastre & Total runs about 2.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate DeSastre & Total as 8C ("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, DeSastre & Total explores friendship, humor, adventure, mystery, and multicultural — 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 friendship, humor, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
9/10High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9788427204041
- Pages
- 302
- Publisher
- National Geographic Books
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 22,385
- Language
- ES
- Read-Aloud
- ~2h 29m
- Text Density
- Light Text