What reading level is Hooey Higgins and the shark?

Hooey Higgins and the shark by Steve Voake is at a Level 3-4 reading level (Lexile 650L). Recommended for Lower Grades readers (Ages 5-8).

What age is Hooey Higgins and the shark appropriate for?

Hooey Higgins and the shark is recommended for Ages 5-8. HootRating: 8LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is Hooey Higgins and the shark?

Hooey Higgins and the shark is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does Hooey Higgins and the shark have any content warnings?

Hooey Higgins and the shark has a HootRating of 8LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Hooey Higgins and the shark?

Hooey Higgins and the shark by Steve Voake is 103 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated June 9, 2026

Hooey Higgins and the shark

Steve Voake

Hooey Higgins and the shark

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Steve Voake

Illustrated by Dodson, Emma, illustrator

Reading Level 3-4 8LE Ages 5-8 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

What if you saw a giant shark near your town and thought, ‘This could be the perfect way to get that giant chocolate egg I really want’? Hooey Higgins and his friend Twig hatch a wild plan to catch the shark and make some money, but what they discover changes everything. Will their crazy adventure pay off or leave them all soaked?

Themes

Humor Friendship AdventureAnimalsJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

This humorous early reader follows Hooey Higgins and his friends as they concoct a playful scheme to catch a shark and earn money to buy a coveted chocolate egg. Suitable for ages 5-8, the story combines lighthearted adventure with fun illustrations, encouraging imagination and problem-solving. Parents should note the story’s comedic tone and mild peril related to the shark encounter.

Why we rated Hooey Higgins and the shark 8LE

Hooey Higgins and the shark is written at a Level 3-4 reading level with a Lexile measure of 650L across 103 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Hooey Higgins and the shark works for readers up to grade 5.5.

We rate Hooey Higgins and the shark as 8LE ("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, Hooey Higgins and the shark explores humor, friendship, adventure, animals, and juvenile fiction — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about humor, friendship, adventure.