Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon

Name: Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon
Author: Shawn K. Stout
ISBN: 9780399162558

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Shawn K. Stout

Penelope Crumb

Reading Level 4-5 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Penelope Crumb finds herself learning the steps of square dancing at school, an experience that leads her to discover a surprising new friendship. As she navigates the rhythms and turns, Penelope learns about connection and fun in unexpected places. Join her on this lively journey full of music and friendship.

Themes

FriendshipSchoolsSquare dancingFiction

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon C (Gentle)

Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 200 pages (approximately 31,724 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon runs about 3.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon as C (Gentle) because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

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

Thematically, Penelope Crumb is mad at the moon explores friendship, schools, square dancing, and fiction — 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 friendship, schools, square dancing.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 2 more books in the Penelope Crumb series.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: high

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