What reading level is Speed and Your Brain?

Speed and Your Brain by Allan B. Cobb is at a Level 8-9 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Speed and Your Brain appropriate for?

Speed and Your Brain is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 12MS (Moderate — Social). Content flags: Substance Use, Drug Abuse, Addiction.

What genre is Speed and Your Brain?

Speed and Your Brain is nonfiction — Amphetamine abuse. Part of the Incredibly Disgusting Drugs series.

Does Speed and Your Brain have any content warnings?

Speed and Your Brain has a HootRating of 12MS (Moderate — Social). Content flags include: Substance Use, Drug Abuse, Addiction. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Speed and Your Brain?

Speed and Your Brain by Allan B. Cobb is 48 pages (approximately 5,582 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

Speed and Your Brain

Allan B. Cobb

Speed and Your Brain

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

The Incredibly Disgusting Story

by Allan B. Cobb

Incredibly Disgusting Drugs

Reading Level 8-9 12MS Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 8th 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

Discover how methamphetamine, often called speed, affects the brain and body, revealing the risks tied to its use. Learn about the challenges of addiction and the hopeful paths toward recovery. This eye-opening story helps young readers understand the importance of making safe choices.

Themes

Self-HelpHealth EducationSocial Justice

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 8-9 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include substance use, drug abuse, addiction. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Speed and Your Brain 12MS

Speed and Your Brain is written at a Level 8-9 reading level across 48 pages (approximately 5,582 words). Strong independent readers around grade 9.9 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Speed and Your Brain works for readers up to grade 10.9.

Read aloud, Speed and Your Brain takes about 37 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Speed and Your Brain as 12MS ("Moderate — Social") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Substance Use, Drug Abuse, Addiction.

Thematically, Speed and Your Brain explores self-help, health education, and social justice — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about self-help, health education, social justice.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Incredibly Disgusting Drugs series.
✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.