Social Intercourse

Name: Social Intercourse
Author: Greg Howard
ISBN: 9781481497831

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Greg Howard

Reading Level 7 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 13+ Balanced Read Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), 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

What if your parents started dating the family of your worst enemy just as your whole town is gearing up for its first-ever Rainbow Prom? Imagine two boys from completely different worlds teaming up to stop the big romance, only to find their plans turning upside down. What happens when old grudges clash with new feelings in the heart of the Bible Belt?

Themes

LGBTQ+ Representation Friendship Family Coming of Age Humor Social JusticeSchoolsDating (social customs)

Quick Assessment

Two teens, a gay choir member and a former bully turned quarterback, join forces to sabotage their parents' budding romance in a conservative Southern town. Expect humor and warmth alongside frank discussion of sexuality, teen romance, past bullying, and the strain of a parent's new relationship and divorce-era family change. It suits thoughtful readers who can talk through prejudice and family upheaval with an adult.

Why we rated Social Intercourse LE (Mild)

Social Intercourse is written at a Level 7 reading level across 320 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Social Intercourse 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Identity & Self-Discovery, Divorce & Family Change, Bullying, Fear & Anxiety.

Thematically, Social Intercourse explores lgbtq+ representation, friendship, family, coming of age, and humor — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about lgbtq+ representation, friendship, family.

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

Gentle

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.