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Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers
Donald J. Sobol
Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Donald J. Sobol
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
Join Encyclopedia Brown as he untangles ten puzzling mysteries in the quirky town of Idaville, from a missing teacup to a sneaky cheater in a gross sneaker contest. Sharpen your detective skills and see if you can solve the clues before the answers are revealed! Each case challenges your thinking and invites you to be a super sleuth alongside the clever boy detective.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers 9C
Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers is written at a Level 4 reading level with a Lexile measure of 610L across 102 pages (approximately 9,467 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers works for readers up to grade 6.0.
Read aloud, Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers runs about 1.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers 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, Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Disgusting Sneakers explores mystery, adventure, friendship, 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.
- ✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, adventure, friendship.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Encyclopedia Brown series.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
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
8/10High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant 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
- 0553158511
- Pages
- 102
- Publisher
- Yearling
- Published
- 1991
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 9,467
- Lexile
- 610L
- Read-Aloud
- ~1h 3m
- Text Density
- Light Text