List

Name: List
Author: Matthew K. Manning
ISBN: 9781496531100

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Matthew K. Manning

EOD Soldiers

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up Page-Turner

The text is written at a 3rd 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Matty Giaconne finds comfort in creating lists that help him cope with being away from his family. But when a simple mission turns dangerous, he must rethink what truly matters most to him. This tale blends the challenges of a soldier's life with the innocence of childhood imagination.

Themes

Coming of Age FamilyWar & ConflictAdventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include war & conflict, fear & anxiety, physical danger. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated List ME (Moderate)

List is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 41 pages (approximately 1,475 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage List on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, List takes about 10 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate List as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: War & Conflict, Fear & Anxiety, Physical Danger.

Thematically, List explores coming of age, family, war & conflict, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, war & conflict.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the EOD Soldiers series.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Gentle

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.