Mae Jemison
Laurie Calkhoven
Mae Jemison
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
With Audio Recording
by Laurie Calkhoven
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Blast off into space and get to know Mae Jemison—the first African-American woman to ever go to space—with this fascinating, nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a new series of biographies about people “you should meet.” Meet Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut! Did you know before Mae was an astronaut, she went to medical school and joined the Peace Corps? But she never forgot her childhood dream to travel to outer space. So in 1985 she applied to NASA’s astronaut training program. On September 12, 1992, Mae flew into space with six other astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavour and made history—just like you can if you follow your dreams! A special section at the back of the book includes extras on subjects like history and math, plus a fun timeline filled with interesting trivia facts about space! With the You Should Meet series, learning about historical figures has never been so much fun!
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 2 book. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 5-8.
Why we rated Mae Jemison Level 0
Mae Jemison is written at a Level 2 reading level across 48 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Mae Jemison works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Mae Jemison as Unrated because the content sits in the "Unrated" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the unrated intensity score.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
Level 0 — UnratedThis book has not yet been rated for content intensity.
Was our "Unrated" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781481476515
- Pages
- 48
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Nonfiction