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Diary of a mad brownie

Bruce Coville

Cover of Diary of a mad brownie

Diary of a mad brownie

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Bruce Coville

Reading Level 5-6 10LE 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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Angus isn’t your ordinary brownie—he’s a tiny magical creature who actually loves doing chores! But when he’s stuck with Alex, a whirlwind of mess and mischief, their unlikely friendship is put to the ultimate test. Can they break a powerful curse before it tears Alex’s family apart?

Quick Assessment

This funny and heartwarming middle-grade fantasy follows Angus, a magical brownie assigned to a messy girl named Alex. Together, they face a family curse that threatens everything, learning about friendship and teamwork along the way. Suitable for ages 9-12, this book blends humor with adventure without any intense content, making it a great choice for young readers.

Why we rated Diary of a mad brownie 10LE

Diary of a mad brownie is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 800L across 241 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Diary of a mad brownie works for readers up to grade 7.5.

We rate Diary of a mad brownie as 10LE ("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, Diary of a mad brownie explores fantasy world-building, friendship, adventure, humor, 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, friendship, adventure.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

10LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

241 pages
ISBN
9780385392471
Pages
241
Publisher
Random House
Published
2015
Type
Fiction
Lexile
800L

Subjects

Action & AdventureAnimalsDragons, Unicorns & MythicalFamilyHumorous StoriesFantasy & MagicMagicBlessing and CursingFamily LifeFamiliesOrderlinessImaginary CreaturesMythical AnimalsAdventure and AdventurersDiariesMythical