The book of what if...?
Matthew Murrie
The book of what if...?
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Questions and Activities for Curious Minds
by Matthew Murrie
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
What if you could live in a city that floats in the sky? What if broccoli tasted like chocolate or politicians were all kids? Imagine exploring wild and silly questions that spark your imagination and invite you to think in brand new ways — but what adventures will your answers lead to?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This engaging middle-grade book encourages children aged 9-12 to develop critical thinking by exploring over eighty imaginative and thought-provoking questions. Organized into sections covering history, people, objects, and nature, it offers interactive prompts and relatable examples to foster curiosity and dialogue. The content is appropriate for this age group, with no intense themes, making it a valuable resource for parents and educators seeking to inspire inquisitive minds.
Why we rated The book of what if...? 11C
The book of what if...? is written at a Level 6 reading level across 240 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The book of what if...? works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The book of what if...? as 11C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, The book of what if...? explores curiosity, critical thinking, imagination, education, and family — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about curiosity, critical thinking, imagination.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781582705293
- Pages
- 240
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Nonfiction