Now is the time for running

Name: Now is the time for running
Author: Michael Williams
ISBN: 9780316077903

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Michael Williams

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd 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

Deo sprints through the dusty village, clutching a worn leather soccer ball that hides a secret inside. His older brother, Innocent, struggles to keep up, but the danger behind them pushes them faster. What will happen when the soldiers catch up?

Themes

BrothersSurvivalPeople with mental disabilitiesMulticultural Family

Quick Assessment

Deo and his older brother Innocent, who has a mental disability, flee their Zimbabwean village after soldiers attack and must survive poverty, prejudice, and loss while searching for safety. Expect scenes of violence, fear, and grief, along with the hardships refugees face, though the story centers on kindness from strangers and hope found through soccer. It works well as a starting point for conversations about war, displacement, and caring for others.

Why we rated Now is the time for running ME (Moderate)

Now is the time for running is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 240 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Now is the time for running on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Now is the time for running 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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, Now is the time for running explores brothers, survival, people with mental disabilities, multicultural, and family — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about brothers, survival, people with mental disabilities.

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

Moderate

Social

Moderate

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.

Data confidence: high

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