Nothing left to ooze

Name: Nothing left to ooze
Author: John Kloepfer
ISBN: 9780062230997

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by John Kloepfer

Illustrated by David DeGrand

Reading Level 5-6 LP · Mild · Physical Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

Zack and his friends race across icy rivers, dodging slime-spewing zombies and wild thrill seekers all chasing the last antidote to the zombie outbreak. Just when they think they're close, a chilling howl echoes through the night — what new danger awaits?

Themes

Survival Humor AdventureZombie FictionFriendship

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Zack Clarke and his friends as they embark on a humorous and fast-paced adventure to find the last zombie antidote and stop a new wave of reanimated zombies. Suitable for ages 9-12, it features mild fantasy violence and slapstick humor, with plenty of illustrations to engage young readers. Parents should note the presence of zombie-themed peril and cartoonish scares, which are presented in a lighthearted, comedic manner.

Why we rated Nothing left to ooze LP (Mild)

Nothing left to ooze is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 212 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Nothing left to ooze on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Nothing left to ooze as LP (Mild, mostly physical) 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, Nothing left to ooze explores survival, humor, adventure, zombie fiction, and friendship — 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 survival, humor, adventure.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

LP · Mild · Physical

Emotional

Mild

Physical

Mild ←

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?