What reading level is Pete & Fremont?

Pete & Fremont by Jenny Tripp is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 700L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Pete & Fremont appropriate for?

Pete & Fremont is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is Pete & Fremont?

Pete & Fremont is fiction — Juvenile Nonfiction.

Does Pete & Fremont have any content warnings?

Pete & Fremont has a HootRating of 9LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Pete & Fremont?

Pete & Fremont by Jenny Tripp is 180 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Pete & Fremont

Jenny Tripp

Pete & Fremont

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jenny Tripp

Reading Level 4-5 9LE 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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Pete the poodle isn’t just any circus dog—he’s the brightest star under the big top, all dressed in dazzling pink! But when his tricks start to flop, a giant grizzly bear named Fremont steps into the spotlight. What happens when a flashy poodle and a wild bear team up? It might just change the whole circus forever.

Themes

FriendshipAnimalsCircusResilienceComing of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction centers on Pete, a once-celebrated circus poodle, and Fremont, a recently captured wild grizzly bear who becomes the circus’s new attraction. The story explores themes of friendship, resilience, and adapting to change within the unique setting of a traveling circus. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book features mild animal-related challenges but no intense content, making it a lighthearted read about camaraderie and personal growth.

Why we rated Pete & Fremont 9LE

Pete & Fremont is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 700L across 180 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Pete & Fremont works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Pete & Fremont as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Pete & Fremont explores friendship, animals, circus, resilience, 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 friendship, animals, circus.