Race Against Time

Kimberly Hammer

Race Against Time

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Kimberly Hammer

Reading Level 5 10MP Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 5th 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

Mattie and Peter suddenly tumble through time, landing in the middle of the Titanic’s sinking! They scramble to warn the passengers, but before they can, they're whisked away again—this time to the dusty hardships of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. What strange forces are pulling them from one moment in history to another, and can they stop a future where humans might not survive?

Themes

Adventure Historical Science & Nature Survival Friendship

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade adventure follows Mattie and Peter as they are unexpectedly transported to various historical and future settings, including the Civil War, the Titanic disaster, the Great Depression, and a dystopian future. The story explores themes of history, consequences of actions, and survival, with age-appropriate suspense and action suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note the presence of perilous situations and some historical hardships, though these are handled in a way accessible to middle-grade readers.

Why we rated Race Against Time 10MP

Race Against Time is written at a Level 5 reading level. Strong independent readers around grade 6.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Race Against Time works for readers up to grade 7.0.

We rate Race Against Time as 10MP ("Moderate — Physical") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from physical peril, thematic difficulty — 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, Race Against Time explores adventure, historical, science & nature, survival, and friendship — 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, historical, science & nature.

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

10MP — Moderate — Physical

Emotional

Light

Physical

Moderate ←

Social

Clear

Thematic

Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level

Emotional Weight

Theme Richness

World Scope

Data Confidence

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