Randoms

Name: Randoms
Author: David Liss
ISBN: 9781481417792

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by David Liss

Reading Level 5-6 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th 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

Not every twelve-year-old gets picked to join a space team aiming for the Confederation of United Planets. But this boy isn’t just lucky—he’s about to uncover secrets that feel ripped straight from his favorite sci-fi tales. What he finds could change everything about the universe he thought he knew.

Themes

Science & Nature Adventure Friendship Mystery Fantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

Randoms follows a twelve-year-old boy selected for a special team working toward joining an interplanetary confederation. The story explores themes of friendship, trust, and discovery as he uncovers conspiracies that challenge his understanding of reality. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, the book offers exciting science fiction adventure with mild suspense and no intense content.

Why we rated Randoms LE (Mild)

Randoms is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 485 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Randoms on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Randoms 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, Randoms explores science & nature, adventure, friendship, mystery, and fantasy world-building — 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 science & nature, adventure, 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

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

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?