Liar of Kudzu

Name: Liar of Kudzu
Author: Bob Schooley
ISBN: 9781416914884

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Bob Schooley

Reading Level 6-7 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 11+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for older middle graders (ages 11+), 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

Pete is the biggest liar you’ll ever meet—but his wild stories might just save the day. When a mysterious object falls from the sky, he teams up with the brainiest kid in class and the new girl to uncover an incredible secret. Sometimes, a little fibbing leads to the biggest truths.

Themes

FriendshipHonestyAdventureJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows 12-year-old Pete, known for his tall tales, as he joins forces with classmates to investigate a strange extraterrestrial object. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of honesty, friendship, and curiosity without intense content. Parents can expect a lighthearted yet meaningful adventure that encourages critical thinking about truth and trust.

Why we rated Liar of Kudzu LE (Mild)

Liar of Kudzu is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 192 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 8 and up can manage Liar of Kudzu on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Liar of Kudzu 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, Liar of Kudzu explores friendship, honesty, adventure, and juvenile fiction — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 11+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, honesty, adventure.

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

Gentle

Social

Mild

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?