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Qwerty Stevens, back in time

Dan Gutman

Cover of Qwerty Stevens, back in time

Qwerty Stevens, back in time

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Qwerty Stevens Adventure

by Dan Gutman

Reading Level 6 11C Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

Here's a secret: Qwerty's amazing machine just pulled Benjamin Franklin right out of 1776 on the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. Now, Qwerty and Joe have a huge mission—getting Ben back before history changes forever. But that's only the beginning.

Themes

AdventureTime TravelHistoricalInventorsMystery

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction book follows Qwerty and Joe as they use a time machine to rescue Benjamin Franklin on the day of the Declaration of Independence signing. It introduces young readers to historical figures and events through an adventurous and engaging story suitable for ages 9 to 12. The book contains mild suspense related to time travel but no intense content.

Why we rated Qwerty Stevens, back in time 11C

Qwerty Stevens, back in time is written at a Level 6 reading level across 201 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Qwerty Stevens, back in time works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Qwerty Stevens, back in time as 11C ("Clear") 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, Qwerty Stevens, back in time explores adventure, time travel, historical, inventors, and mystery — 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 adventure, time travel, historical.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

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

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
2
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
3
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

201 pages
ISBN
9780689841255
Pages
201
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published
2002
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Edison, Thomas A1847-1931Time TravelInventorsDetective and Mystery StoriesBrothers and SistersFamily LifeEdisonThomas A.SiblingsNew Jersey

People

Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)

Places

New Jersey