Our four boys
Martha Ufford Dickerson
Our four boys
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Foster Parenting Retarded Teenagers
by Martha Ufford Dickerson
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
The soft rustle of pages turns in a quiet house where four boys laugh and learn together. Each day brings new challenges and surprises as their foster family helps them grow in a world that sometimes feels too big. Through every moment, there's a warm feeling of hope and belonging.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction explores the life of a foster family caring for four adolescents with intellectual disabilities, drawing on themes of foster parenting and institutional care. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story offers an insightful look into the challenges and joys of nurturing children with special needs. Parents should know that the book sensitively addresses mental disabilities and family dynamics in a supportive manner.
Why we rated Our four boys 11ME
Our four boys is written at a Level 6 reading level across 222 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Our four boys works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Our four boys as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — 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 mild intensity score.
Thematically, Our four boys explores foster care, disability representation, family, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about foster care, disability representation, family.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0815601468
- Pages
- 222
- Publisher
- Syracuse University Press
- Published
- 1978
- Type
- Nonfiction