Found
June Oldham
Found
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by June Oldham
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Ren clutches the tiny baby close as the city buzzes around them, strangers rushing by without a glance. The cold night bites, but a flicker of hope sparks in her heart—can they really protect this little one? Suddenly, footsteps approach, and everything changes.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Ren, a girl facing homelessness who joins a group of others determined to care for an abandoned baby. It explores themes of survival, community, and compassion in difficult circumstances. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the story sensitively handles topics like poverty and abandonment without graphic detail.
Why we rated Found 9ME
Found is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 199 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Found works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Found as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Found explores survival, family, homelessness, and abandoned children — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about survival, family, homelessness.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780439065092
- Pages
- 199
- Publisher
- Scholastic Inc.
- Published
- 1999
- Type
- Fiction