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Missing Mem

Errol Broome

Cover of Missing Mem

Missing Mem

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Errol Broome

Illustrated by Ann James

Reading Level 3-4 8C Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

When a brave little mouse sets out to find a friend who understands her, she suddenly disappears, sparking a heartfelt journey to bring her back home. Along the way, themes of friendship and belonging come to life in this charming tale. Young readers will be drawn into a world where courage and connection matter most.

Themes

FriendshipAnimalsSocial IssuesChildren

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Missing Mem 8C

Missing Mem is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 144 pages (approximately 20,155 words). Strong independent readers around grade 4.8 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Missing Mem works for readers up to grade 5.8.

Read aloud, Missing Mem runs about 2.2 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Missing Mem as 8C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.

Thematically, Missing Mem explores friendship, animals, social issues, and children — 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about friendship, animals, social issues.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

8C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
3
Emotional Weight
2
Narrative Pace
7
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
8

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Details

Book Length

144 pages
20,155 words
2h 14m read-aloud
ISBN
0743437977
Pages
144
Publisher
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Published
February 1, 2003
Type
Fiction
Word Count
20,155
Read-Aloud
~2h 14m
Text Density
Light Text

Genres

Subjects

Social IssuesFriendshipAnimalsMice Hamsters Guinea Pigs EtcMiceCircusAction & AdventureCats