Puppy Power

Name: Puppy Power
Author: Judy Cox
ISBN: 9780823420735

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Judy Cox

Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman

Reading Level 3 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The soft, fluffy fur of a giant Newfoundland puppy brushes against your cheek as it licks your hand excitedly. Fran’s puppy fills her days with loud barks and wild energy, making it hard for her to stay calm. But as she learns to train her furry friend, something amazing happens that helps her shine on stage.

Themes

Animals - DogsBullyingFriendship Coming of Age Family

Quick Assessment

Third-grader Fran is thrilled to land a starring role in her school play, but her teacher warns that she could be removed unless she improves her behavior, and her parents say the family puppy must shape up too. Along the way, Fran learns self-control by training her energetic Newfoundland, and the story touches on bullying and classroom conflict in a light, quickly resolved way. The book is gentle and upbeat, with lighthearted humor and a positive message about patience and perseverance, and it also includes basic puppy training tips.

Why we rated Puppy Power LE (Mild)

Puppy Power is written at a Level 3 reading level across 90 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Puppy Power on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Puppy Power as LE (Mild, mostly 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, Puppy Power explores animals - dogs, bullying, friendship, coming of age, and family — 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 animals - dogs, bullying, friendship.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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