No More No Name

Name: No More No Name
Author: Tim Tingle
ISBN: 9781939053176

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tim Tingle

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What happens when everything starts to change, but new challenges sneak in? Bobby's life is turning around—his dad is sober, his mom is home, and his basketball team is on fire. Yet, when his girlfriend faces bullying and a teammate struggles with a harsh home life, can Bobby find a way to help without losing himself?

Themes

Friendship Family SportsBullyingComing of Age Multicultural

Quick Assessment

No More No Name follows Bobby Byington as he navigates family recovery, friendship, and the challenges of middle school life, including bullying and domestic issues. Suitable for ages 9-12, this middle-grade novel sensitively explores themes of resilience, friendship, and the impact of family struggles, with some depictions of bullying and emotional difficulties. It's a thoughtful story that can prompt important conversations about empathy and support.

Why we rated No More No Name ME (Moderate)

No More No Name is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 168 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage No More No Name on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate No More No Name as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, Family Change.

Thematically, No More No Name explores friendship, family, sports, bullying, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, sports.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.