Maggot Moon
Sally Gardner, Julian Crouch
Maggot Moon
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sally Gardner, Julian Crouch
The text is written at a 6th 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.
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About This Book
The sharp clang of a kicked football echoes off the cold, cracked wall. Standish Treadwell chases it, but what he finds is more than a lost ball—a hidden secret that could change everything. The truth about the moon landing is buried deep, and uncovering it might put him in danger he never imagined.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in a dystopian world controlled by a harsh regime called the Motherland, this middle-grade novel follows Standish Treadwell as he uncovers hidden truths about a moon landing cover-up. The story explores themes of bravery, social injustice, and resistance, appropriate for readers ages 9 to 12. Parents should be aware of the book’s depiction of a totalitarian society and the emotional weight of standing up against oppression.
Why we rated Maggot Moon 11ME
Maggot Moon is written at a Level 6 reading level across 279 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Maggot Moon works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Maggot Moon as 11ME ("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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Maggot Moon explores dystopian, social justice, historical, adventure, and friendship — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about dystopian, social justice, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780763665531
- Pages
- 279
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction