Looking for Dad

Name: Looking for Dad
Author: Ellen Frances
ISBN: 0760832927

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Ellen Frances

Supa Doopers

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched 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 is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

John feels lost and alone when his mom brings a new husband into their home. Determined to find a dad who truly fits, he embarks on a heartfelt journey to understand what family really means. Along the way, he discovers that love can come in many different forms.

Themes

Family Coming of AgeRemarriageFathers and SonsStepfathers

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include divorce & family change, loneliness. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Looking for Dad LE (Mild)

Looking for Dad is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 64 pages (approximately 2,033 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Looking for Dad on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Looking for Dad takes about 14 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Looking for Dad 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Divorce & Family Change, Loneliness.

Thematically, Looking for Dad explores family, coming of age, remarriage, fathers and sons, and stepfathers — 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.
✓ 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 family, coming of age, remarriage.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Supa Doopers series.

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

Gentle

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.