Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend
Brooke Hartman
Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Brooke Hartman
The text is written at a 7th 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
What if a giant kraken just wants a hug but all the sea creatures swim away? Imagine Klyde trying one big, splashy hug after another, only to find out that friends might show they care in different ways. Can Klyde learn the secret to making friends before he hugs one too many shipwrecked pirates?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade book follows Klyde, a friendly kraken who struggles to connect with ocean animals because of his love for hugs. Through humorous and heartwarming encounters, including with a group of pirates, Klyde learns about emotional literacy and the diversity of social bonds. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers a gentle introduction to social-emotional learning with engaging verses and charming illustrations.
Why we rated Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend 12LE
Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend is written at a Level 7 reading level across 336 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Klyde the Kraken Wants a Friend explores friendship, family, humor, adventure, and social-emotional learning — 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 friendship, family, humor.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781948931502
- Pages
- 336
- Publisher
- Hazy Dell Press
- Published
- 2023
- Type
- Fiction