Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Squirm
Carl Hiaasen
Squirm
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carl Hiaasen
The text is written at a 6th 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
Billy ducks just as a drone zips past his head, buzzing like a wild hornet. He’s on a mountain trail, heart pounding, with a grizzly bear not far behind—and his dad is nowhere to be found. What’s hiding in the wilderness, and can Billy uncover the truth before danger finds him first?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Billy Dickens as he embarks on a thrilling summer adventure across Montana to find his missing father. Packed with humor, wildlife encounters, and family dynamics, it offers an engaging story appropriate for ages 9-12. While there are moments of mild peril involving animals and a drone, the content remains suitable for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated Squirm LE (Mild)
Squirm is written at a Level 6 reading level across 276 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Squirm on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
We rate Squirm 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, Squirm explores adventure, family, humor, nature & the natural world, and environmental awareness — 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 adventure, family, humor.
- ✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — Squirm carries an award.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading 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.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385752978
- Pages
- 276
- Publisher
- Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction