The boy with 17 senses
Sheila Grau
The boy with 17 senses
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sheila Grau
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
Here's a secret: On the strange planet Yipsmix, everyone sees the world in colors and sounds you can't even imagine. Jaq, a boy with 17 senses, slips through a wormhole to Earth, where giants aren't just stories—they're real friends. But that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel reimagines 'Jack and the Beanstalk' on a fantastical planet where synesthesia shapes the characters' experiences. Suitable for ages 9-12, it explores themes of friendship, bravery, and perception through imaginative storytelling with no intense content concerns.
Why we rated The boy with 17 senses 11C
The boy with 17 senses is written at a Level 6 reading level across 250 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The boy with 17 senses works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The boy with 17 senses 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 boy with 17 senses explores fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship, and science & nature — 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 fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship.
- ✓ 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
2/10A 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
- 9781419721199
- Pages
- 250
- Publisher
- Harry N. Abrams
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Nonfiction