Never glue your friends to chairs
Katherine Applegate
Never glue your friends to chairs
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Katherine Applegate
Illustrated by Biggs, Brian, illustrator
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.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
The sticky sound of glue jars popping open fills the room, and the smell of fresh school paint tickles your nose. First-graders buzz around with flimsy bee antennae, and drummers wiggle in their seats like wild drums themselves. When Roscoe uses the 'don't-you-dare' glue to keep everything in place, things get a little messier — and a lot more fun.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This early reader follows Roscoe as he tries to help his classmates during their school play by using glue to keep costumes and performers in place. Suitable for ages 5-8, the story humorously explores themes of helpfulness and problem-solving within an elementary school setting. There is light, playful mischief but no concerning content, making it a fun and age-appropriate read.
Why we rated Never glue your friends to chairs 8C
Never glue your friends to chairs is written at a Level 3 reading level across 79 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Never glue your friends to chairs works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate Never glue your friends to chairs 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, Never glue your friends to chairs explores helping behavior, helpfulness, elementary schools, friendship, and humor — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about helping behavior, helpfulness, elementary schools.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Luca Magoo Don't Eat the Glue
Megan Delgado
Luca Magoo Don't Eat the Glue
Megan Delgado
Sticky, sticky, stuck!
Michael Gutch
Sticky, sticky, stuck!
Michael Gutch
Glue (Five Minute Art)
Eager Minds Press, Warehousing & Fulfillment Specialists, LLC (WFS, LLC)
Glue (Five Minute Art)
Eager Minds Press, Warehousing & Fulfillment Specialists, LLC (WFS, LLC)
Sticky
Anna Doherty
Sticky
Anna Doherty
Hazel's Yummy Gummy Icky Sticky School Day
Allyson Chamberlain
Hazel's Yummy Gummy Icky Sticky School Day
Allyson Chamberlain
Best friends.
Kate Gleeson
Best friends.
Kate Gleeson
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780545285957
- Pages
- 79
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction