Missing Mike
Shari Green
Missing Mike
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Shari Green
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
Here’s a secret: Mike isn’t just any dog—he’s a brave rescue with a missing eye and a wild past. When wildfire smoke fills the air, Mike gets scared and disappears during a hurried evacuation. But that’s only the beginning of Cara’s heart-pounding search to find him and what she truly calls home.
Quick Assessment
Missing Mike tells the story of eleven-year-old Cara Donovan and her deep bond with her rescue dog, Mike, who goes missing during a wildfire evacuation. This middle-grade novel explores themes of loss, resilience, and the meaning of home, set against the backdrop of a forest fire and its impact on a community. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it sensitively handles the emotional challenges of pet loss and natural disaster without graphic content.
Why we rated Missing Mike 11ME
Missing Mike is written at a Level 6 reading level across 247 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Missing Mike works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Missing Mike 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 — 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, Missing Mike explores pet loss, family, adventure, forest fires, and resilience — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about pet loss, family, adventure.
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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781772780451
- Pages
- 247
- Publisher
- Pajama Press Inc.
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction