Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus)
Judith Kay
Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Judith Kay
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if your school’s top students started disappearing one by one? Imagine an alien spaceship hovering above Central High, snatching the best minds away into the unknown. Who will solve the mystery before it’s too late?
Quick Assessment
This early reader fiction book is designed for children aged 5 to 8 and set at a third-grade reading level. It tells an exciting story about students mysteriously vanishing from school, introducing young readers to suspense and imaginative scenarios while supporting literacy development. The content is age-appropriate with no intense themes, focusing on adventure and problem-solving.
Why we rated Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus) 8LP
Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus) is written at a Level 3 reading level across 88 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus) works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus) as 8LP ("Light — Physical") 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Missing! (Michigan Reading Plus) explores adventure, mystery, and language arts / literacy — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, mystery, language arts / literacy.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780472031054
- Pages
- 88
- Publisher
- University of Michigan Press
- Published
- March 23, 2005
- Type
- Fiction