Ghoul strike!

Name: Ghoul strike!
Author: Andrew Newbound
ISBN: 9780545229388

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Andrew Newbound

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional 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. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What if the ghosts you know weren’t the biggest problem? Imagine twelve-year-old Alannah Malarra, a psychic ghost hunter, suddenly facing terrifying demons from another dimension. Can she team up with the secret A.N.G.E.L. police force to stop the chaos before it’s too late?

Themes

Adventure Humor Fantasy World-Building Friendship

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction book follows twelve-year-old Alannah Malarra, a psychic ghost hunter who must confront dangerous demons rather than typical ghosts. It blends elements of horror and humor suitable for ages 9-12, with themes of supernatural adventure and teamwork. Parents should note mild scary moments but no intense violence or mature content.

Why we rated Ghoul strike! LE (Mild)

Ghoul strike! is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 320 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Ghoul strike! on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Ghoul strike! as LE (Mild, mostly 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, Ghoul strike! explores adventure, humor, fantasy world-building, and friendship — 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 adventure, humor, fantasy world-building.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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