Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers
John Dougherty
Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by John Dougherty
Illustrated by Ricks, Sam, illustrator
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face are on a mission like no other—chasing down the sneaky badgers who stole a twenty dollar bill! These badgers aren’t just naughty; they’re the worst kind of troublemakers, and it’s up to these siblings to save the kingdom of Great Kerfuffle from total chaos. But with tricky badgers and wild adventures ahead, can they pull off their quest without getting into even bigger kerfuffles?
Quick Assessment
This humorous middle-grade novel follows siblings Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face as they embark on a whimsical quest to catch mischievous badgers in the kingdom of Great Kerfuffle. Filled with playful language and lighthearted adventure, the book offers an entertaining parody of classic fantasy quests suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should note the story contains mild fantasy peril and silly humor but is overall appropriate and engaging for middle-grade audiences.
Why we rated Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers 9LP
Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 127 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers as 9LP ("Light — Physical") 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, Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the badness of badgers explores humor, adventure, family, 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 humor, adventure, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781101996621
- Pages
- 127
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction