Kid Made
Bob Bottieri
Kid Made
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Easily Made Sets for Action Toys
by Bob Bottieri
Illustrated by Lavonne Girard
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The crisp snap of a tiny paper fold echoes in the quiet room, the smell of fresh glue fills the air, and colorful scraps come to life under your fingertips. Creating miniature worlds feels like magic when every little detail clicks perfectly into place. Each craft sparks a new idea, making you proud of what you’ve built.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This engaging book offers step-by-step instructions for creating a variety of craft projects, complete with descriptive drawings and color photographs to guide children. Designed for ages 9-12, it encourages creativity and fine motor skills, with activities that can also support classroom learning. The content is gentle and suitable for middle-grade readers interested in crafts and hobbies.
Why we rated Kid Made 9C
Kid Made 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, Kid Made works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Kid Made as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Kid Made explores crafts & hobbies, creativity, learning, and fine motor skills — 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 crafts & hobbies, creativity, learning.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
- ISBN
- 9780613983365
- Publisher
- Tandem Library
- Published
- September 1993
- Type
- Fiction