Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books)

Name: Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books)
Author: Pam Rosenberg
ISBN: 9781592968954

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Pam Rosenberg

Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books

Reading Level 5-6 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

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 gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Discover the wild and wacky world hidden in your meals with surprising and icky facts that will both gross you out and make you curious. Perfect for young explorers who love learning about the strange and sticky secrets in everyday food!

Themes

Science & Nature HumorHealth

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books) C (Gentle)

Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books) is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 24 pages (approximately 2,038 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books) on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books) takes about 14 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books) as C (Gentle) 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, Eek! Icky, Sticky, Gross Stuff in Your Food (Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books) explores science & nature, humor, and health — 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 science & nature, humor, health.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Icky, Sticky, Gross-Out Books series.
✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

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