My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!)
Alison DeCamp
My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Alison DeCamp
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
Stan is the bravest 12-year-old you'll ever meet — he sets off alone to find his father in the wild logging camps of 1895 Michigan. Facing tricky relatives and tough lumberjacks, he keeps a scrapbook of every twist and turn. His adventure shows just how far courage and curiosity can take you.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade historical fiction follows 12-year-old Stan as he journeys to the Michigan logging camps in 1895 to find his father. Through his scrapbook, readers explore family dynamics, historical settings, and challenges typical of the era. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story contains mild peril but no intense content.
Why we rated My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) 11LE
My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) 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, My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) explores adventure, family, and historical — 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 adventure, family, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9780385390446
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Crown Books For Young Readers
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction