The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School
Fowler DeWitt
The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Fowler DeWitt
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.
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About This Book
Wilmer’s goggles fog up as the school bell rings, but something’s wrong—kids are turning every color of the rainbow! As whispers spread and colors change faster, Wilmer races against time to uncover the secret, but what if the answer is closer than he thinks?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Wilmer Dooley, a curious sixth-grade scientist, as he investigates a strange illness causing students at Mumpley Middle School to change colors. Blending humor and mystery, the story engages readers aged 9-12 while gently exploring themes of health and illness. The content is appropriate for this age group, with no intense or graphic material.
Why we rated The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School 11LE
The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School as 11LE ("Light — 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 Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School explores humor, mystery, health & daily living, and juvenile fiction — 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, mystery, health & daily living.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight 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
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781442478299
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2014-08-26
- Type
- Fiction