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Monkey me and the new neighbor

Timothy Roland

Cover of Monkey me and the new neighbor

Monkey me and the new neighbor

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Timothy Roland

Reading Level 3 8C Ages 5-8 Balanced Read

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 gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

What if eating a laser-zapped banana made you turn into a monkey whenever you got excited? Clyde can’t help but monkey around at school, especially when his new neighbor is the principal! Will he be able to keep his wild side under control at home?

Themes

Quick Assessment

This early chapter book features Clyde, a lively third grader who transforms into a monkey whenever he gets too excited, following a school science trip. Designed for ages 5-8, this fast-paced, illustrated story explores themes of sibling support, self-control, and school life. Parents should know it’s a lighthearted tale without intense content, suitable for early independent readers.

Why we rated Monkey me and the new neighbor 8C

Monkey me and the new neighbor is written at a Level 3 reading level across 90 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Monkey me and the new neighbor works for readers up to grade 5.0.

We rate Monkey me and the new neighbor 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, Monkey me and the new neighbor explores family, friendship, elementary school, humor, and adventure — 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 family, friendship, elementary school.

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
2
Emotional Weight
2
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

90 pages
ISBN
9780545559843
Pages
90
Publisher
Monkey Me
Published
2014
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Brothers and SistersElementary SchoolsTwinsShapeshiftingSchoolsMonkeysSiblings