Pick the plot
James Riley
Pick the plot
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by James Riley
Illustrated by To, Vivienne, illustrator
The text is written at a 7th 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.
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About This Book
What if you could jump right into the middle of an adventure and decide what happens next? Owen is stuck in a wild time travel story full of prehistoric dangers and strange prisoners who might be friends—or foes. Can you help him escape and save his best friend before it's too late?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy adventure follows Owen as he becomes trapped in a time travel book where readers choose the plot's direction. The story involves prehistoric settings, time criminals, and themes of friendship and bravery. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers an interactive reading experience with moderate suspense and fantasy peril.
Why we rated Pick the plot 12ME
Pick the plot is written at a Level 7 reading level across 367 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Pick the plot works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Pick the plot as 12ME ("Moderate — 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 — 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, Pick the plot explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, magic, 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 adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9781481461290
- Pages
- 367
- Publisher
- Aladdin
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction