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Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien)

Bruce Coville

Cover of Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien)

Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien)

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Bruce Coville

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Pleskit Meenom vanishes just as rumors swirl about a terrible event at the alien embassy. Tim, Rafaella, and even Tim's old rival Jordan must race against time to unravel the mystery. But will their unlikely alliance be enough to save the mission—and Earth itself?

Themes

HumorFriendshipSchool & EducationScience FictionAdventure

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade science fiction book follows Pleskit Meenom and his human friends as they confront mysterious events threatening the alien mission on Earth. The story blends humor with adventure, making it suitable for ages 9 to 12. It includes themes of friendship, teamwork, and school life, with no intense content concerns.

Why we rated Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) 9LE

Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) as 9LE ("Light — 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, Farewell to Earth (I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) explores humor, friendship, school & education, science fiction, 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 humor, friendship, school & education.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

ISBN
9780613495585
Publisher
Turtleback Books
Published
August 2001
Type
Fiction

Subjects

Humorous StoriesSchool & EducationScience Fiction, Fantasy, & MagicMovie TieInExtraterrestrial BeingsSchoolsScience FictionLife on Other Planets