Doctor on the job
Richard Gordon
Doctor on the job
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Richard Gordon
The text is written at a 4th 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
The clatter of hospital trays and the hum of urgent footsteps fill the air, but today something feels different. At St. Swithin's, a strike has everyone on edge, from the stern dean to the busy nurses and even the cheerful tea-ladies. How will they keep the hospital running when everything seems to be falling apart?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction book explores a strike at St. Swithin's hospital, focusing on the challenges faced by doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. It provides a humorous yet insightful look into teamwork and responsibility in a medical setting, suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. There is no intense content, making it appropriate for its target audience.
Why we rated Doctor on the job 9C
Doctor on the job is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 187 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Doctor on the job works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Doctor on the job as 9C ("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, Doctor on the job explores physicians, humor, workplace, and teamwork — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about physicians, humor, workplace.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient 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
- 0434302422
- Pages
- 187
- Publisher
- Heinemann
- Published
- 1976
- Type
- Fiction