Ninjas and knock outs!

Name: Ninjas and knock outs!
Author: Laurent Richard
ISBN: 9781467732727

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Book 2

by Laurent Richard

Illustrated by Nicolas Ryser

Tao, the Little Samurai

Reading Level 2-3 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Tao is eager to become a martial arts expert, but his daydreaming and mischievous antics often land him in hot water. When he starts having secret crush feelings for his friend Kat, his pranks get even wilder. Can Tao win Kat's attention without getting into trouble with his teachers?

Themes

Friendship Coming of AgeSchoolsHumorMartial Arts

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 2-3 book with gentle content intensity. Content themes include behavior. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Ninjas and knock outs! C (Gentle)

Ninjas and knock outs! is written at a Level 2-3 reading level across 61 pages (approximately 2,755 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Ninjas and knock outs! on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Ninjas and knock outs! takes about 18 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Ninjas and knock outs! as C (Gentle) 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Behavior.

Thematically, Ninjas and knock outs! explores friendship, coming of age, schools, humor, and martial arts — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, schools.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Tao, the Little Samurai series.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.