Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
No place
Todd Strasser
No place
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Todd Strasser
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Dan’s heart pounds as he dodges shouting voices and sharp elbows in Tent City. The winds howl, tents flap wildly, and danger lurks closer than he thinks. Suddenly, someone steps out of the shadows—who could it be, and what do they want?
Quick Assessment
No Place tells the story of Dan, a young boy who becomes homeless and moves to a challenging tent community. As he fights for better living conditions, he faces threats including stalking, injury, and anxiety, making this a realistic and sometimes intense portrayal of poverty and resilience for middle-grade readers. Parents should be aware of themes including loss, physical danger, mental health struggles, and sensitive situations like kidnapping and medical scenes.
Why we rated No place IE (Intense)
No place is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 262 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage No place on their own.
We rate No place as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Gaslighting, Stalking, Physical Injury, Parental Death, Kidnapping, Possession, Needles/Syringes, Hospital Scene, Body Dysmorphia, Anxiety Attack.
Thematically, No place explores homelessness, poverty, juvenile fiction, family, and survival — 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 homelessness, poverty, juvenile fiction.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
For Parents
Content Intensity
IE · Intense · EmotionalReading 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
Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781442457225
- Pages
- 262
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction