The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends)

Name: The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends)
Author: George Selden
ISBN: 9780312380038

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by George Selden

Illustrated by Garth Williams

Reading Level 4-5 C · Gentle 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 gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a cricket from the countryside found itself lost in the middle of bustling Times Square? Chester Cricket follows a tempting smell right into the heart of New York City, where he meets Tucker, a clever city mouse, and Harry, a street-smart cat. What adventures await this unlikely trio in the noisy, bright city—and what secret talent does Chester hold?

Themes

Friendship Adventure FamilyAnimal CharactersCity Life

Quick Assessment

This classic middle-grade novel tells the story of Chester Cricket, a country cricket who finds himself in New York City’s Times Square, where he befriends a mouse and a cat. Together, they navigate the challenges of city life and form a special bond with a young boy named Mario. Suitable for children ages 9-12, the book explores themes of friendship, adventure, and adapting to new environments, without any content concerns.

Why we rated The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends) C (Gentle)

The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 144 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends) on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends) as C (Gentle) 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 Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends) explores friendship, adventure, family, animal characters, and city life — 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 friendship, adventure, family.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

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