Grasshopper Jungle
Andrew Smith
Grasshopper Jungle
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Andrew Smith
The text is written at a 7th 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
Crunching leaves underfoot, the sharp scent of pine fills the air as Austin and Robby stumble into a secret they never wanted. Suddenly, towering praying mantises appear—hungry, wild, and strangely curious about everything, especially each other. What happens when a small town faces the biggest, weirdest danger imaginable?
Quick Assessment
Grasshopper Jungle is a middle-grade novel blending humor, fantasy, and coming-of-age themes as two friends in a small Iowa town accidentally unleash giant mutant praying mantises. The story includes mature topics such as sexual identity and teen self-discovery alongside intense, fantastical peril. Recommended for ages 9-12, parents should note the presence of some sexual content and complex emotional themes within a quirky, genre-bending narrative.
Why we rated Grasshopper Jungle 12ME
Grasshopper Jungle is written at a Level 7 reading level across 394 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Grasshopper Jungle works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Grasshopper Jungle as 12ME ("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, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Sexual Content, Fantasy Violence.
Thematically, Grasshopper Jungle explores coming of age, friendship, fantasy world-building, and identity & self-discovery — 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 coming of age, friendship, fantasy world-building.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
- 9781405273411
- Pages
- 394
- Publisher
- Electric Monkey
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction