Record breaker

Name: Record breaker
Author: Robin Stevenson
ISBN: 9781554699599

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robin Stevenson

Reading Level 3 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 5-8 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The sharp crackle of the radio fills the room, mixing with whispers of big, scary news from around the world. Jack feels a heavy silence in his heart as his family remembers someone very special who’s gone. Sometimes, the loudest sounds are inside us, and Jack is learning how to listen.

Themes

FamilyBereavementWorld RecordsSisters

Quick Assessment

Set in 1963, this early reader explores a young boy's experience with family grief amid significant historical events. It gently addresses themes of loss and coping with the death of a sibling, making it appropriate for children ages 5 to 8 who are beginning to understand complex emotions. Parents should be aware that the story sensitively touches on bereavement and family dynamics.

Why we rated Record breaker ME (Moderate)

Record breaker is written at a Level 3 reading level across 142 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Record breaker on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Record breaker as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bereavement.

Thematically, Record breaker explores family, bereavement, world records, and sisters — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, bereavement, world records.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

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

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