Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Past Pandemics and COVID-19
Walt K. Moon
Past Pandemics and COVID-19
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Walt K. Moon
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Discover how COVID-19 fits into the long history of global diseases that have shaped humanity. Travel back to the times of the Black Death and the 1918 flu pandemic to see how these outbreaks affected millions and changed the world. This exploration connects past and present pandemics to help understand their impact on society.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5-6 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include illness & injury, historical. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Past Pandemics and COVID-19 10LP
Past Pandemics and COVID-19 is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 80 pages (approximately 5,173 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Past Pandemics and COVID-19 works for readers up to grade 7.6.
Read aloud, Past Pandemics and COVID-19 takes about 34 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.
We rate Past Pandemics and COVID-19 as 10LP ("Light — 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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Illness & Injury, Historical.
Thematically, Past Pandemics and COVID-19 explores world history, medicine, and science & nature — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about world history, medicine, science & nature.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the COVID-19 Pandemic series.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
7/10High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
More in the COVID-19 Pandemic Series
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781678200657
- Pages
- 80
- Publisher
- Referencepoint Press - (Brightpoint Press)
- Published
- 2020
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Word Count
- 5,173
- Read-Aloud
- ~34 min
- Text Density
- Light Text