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Moon man

David Donohue

Cover of Moon man

Moon man

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by David Donohue

Reading Level 6 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Walter Speazlebud clutches the glowing Noitanigami tightly as the world around him blurs. Suddenly, he’s standing in 1969—right in the middle of the moon landing frenzy! But what will he uncover when history and mystery collide?

Quick Assessment

Moon Man follows Walter, a boy with extraordinary abilities, as he travels back to 1969 to investigate the truth behind the Moon landing, with guidance from his grandfather. This middle-grade novel is suitable for ages 9-12 and explores themes of family bonds, time travel, and curiosity about history. The story contains mild suspense but no intense content, making it appropriate for its target audience.

Why we rated Moon man 11LE

Moon man is written at a Level 6 reading level across 278 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Moon man works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Moon man as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Moon man explores family, adventure, time travel, mystery, and science & nature — 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 family, adventure, time travel.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

278 pages
ISBN
9781405219983
Pages
278
Publisher
Egmont
Published
2006
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

BoysGrandfathersTime TravelOrthography and SpellingLanguage and LanguagesSpace FlightFantasy Fiction