Dodger and Me

Name: Dodger and Me
Author: Jordan Sonnenblick
ISBN: 9780312377939

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional 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. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Dodger isn’t just any imaginary friend—he’s the wildest, most unpredictable sidekick a kid could ever have. When his nonstop antics start causing real trouble, it’s up to one boy to figure out how to keep Dodger in check before things get out of hand. This story proves that sometimes, the biggest challenges come from the friends who only you can see.

Themes

Friendship Humor Family Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows a boy whose imaginary friend, Dodger, becomes increasingly disruptive, blending humor with themes of friendship and self-control. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers lighthearted entertainment with relatable struggles of managing imagination and behavior. Parents should note the playful antics and mild conflicts typical of juvenile fiction, with no significant content concerns.

Why we rated Dodger and Me LE (Mild)

Dodger and Me is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 176 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Dodger and Me on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Dodger and Me as LE (Mild, mostly 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, Dodger and Me explores friendship, humor, family, and coming of age — 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 friendship, humor, family.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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