The call

Name: The call
Author: Michael Grant
ISBN: 9780061833663

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Michael Grant

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Mack MacAvoy is the most average kid you’ll ever meet—until a three-thousand-year-old man appears in the bathroom with a wild secret. Suddenly, Mack is one of twelve kids destined to face an ancient evil, but being a hero sounds way scarier than staying ordinary. Can the most medium kid ever answer the call and save the world?

Themes

Fantasy World-Building Adventure HumorGood and EvilComing of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fantasy adventure follows twelve-year-old Mack, a boy who considers himself ordinary until he learns he is one of twelve children chosen to stop an ancient evil threatening the world. The story blends humor, magic, and excitement while exploring themes of courage and self-discovery. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains mild fantasy violence and some moments of suspense but remains lighthearted and entertaining.

Why we rated The call LE (Mild)

The call is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 256 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The call on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The call 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, The call explores fantasy world-building, adventure, humor, good and evil, and coming of age — 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 fantasy world-building, adventure, humor.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading 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.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?