Lost and found
Alan Dean Foster
Lost and found
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Alan Dean Foster
Taken
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Marcus Walker’s ordinary life is shattered when he’s abducted and taken aboard a spaceship, transported far from Earth into a universe where humans are rare curiosities. Facing captivity and the threat of being sold as an exotic pet, Marcus must rely on his courage and resourcefulness to survive and find a way back home. His thrilling journey unfolds amidst alien worlds and high-stakes danger, testing his will to fight against overwhelming odds.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 7-8 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include kidnapping, physical danger, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Lost and found 12ME
Lost and found is written at a Level 7-8 reading level across 248 pages (approximately 81,818 words). Strong independent readers around grade 8.7 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Lost and found works for readers up to grade 9.7.
Read aloud, Lost and found runs about 9.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Lost and found as 12ME ("Moderate — 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Kidnapping, Physical Danger, Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, Lost and found explores science & nature, adventure, survival, life on other planets, and aliens (non-humanoid) — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about science & nature, adventure, survival.
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
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0345461258
- Pages
- 248
- Publisher
- Random House Digital, Inc.
- Published
- 2004
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 81,818
- Read-Aloud
- ~9h 5m
- Text Density
- Dense