Rabbit and Robot
Andrew Smith
Rabbit and Robot
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Andrew Smith
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
Rabbit and Robot are not your average friends — one’s a boy stuck on a giant spaceship, and the other’s a robot gone totally wild! As Earth burns below in endless wars, their crazy adventure in space shows just how strange and funny being human can be. But when robots start acting super scary, can they survive alone among the stars?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Rabbit & Robot is a middle-grade science fiction novel that combines dark humor with thought-provoking themes about technology, humanity, and survival. The story follows a boy stranded on a massive lunar cruise ship with malfunctioning robots while Earth suffers from widespread conflict. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains intense themes of war, addiction, and existential questions, presented with some gross and unpredictable moments.
Why we rated Rabbit and Robot 12IE
Rabbit and Robot is written at a Level 8 reading level across 448 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Rabbit and Robot works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Rabbit and Robot as 12IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: War & Conflict, Addiction, Machine Violence.
Thematically, Rabbit and Robot explores friendship, science & nature, humor, adventure, and war & conflict — 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, science & nature, humor.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781534422223
- Pages
- 448
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction