Don't Care High
Gordon Korman
Don't Care High
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Gordon Korman
The text is written at a 6th 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
Don't Care High isn't just a name—it's a way of life where no one cares about anything, not even their own football field! When Paul and Sheldon arrive, their wild plan might just shake up the whole school. What happens when you challenge a place that’s proud of its 'don’t care' attitude?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Don't Care High is a humorous middle-grade novel about two new students who try to inspire school spirit at a disengaged New York middle school. Suitable for ages 9-12, it explores themes of friendship, creativity, and community in a lighthearted way. The book contains no intense content, making it appropriate for its target audience.
Why we rated Don't Care High 11C
Don't Care High is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Don't Care High works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Don't Care High as 11C ("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, Don't Care High explores friendship, school, humor, and adventure — 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, school, humor.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 9780545631839
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Scholastic Inc.
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction