What reading level is The genius factor?

The genius factor by Paul Tobin is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 740L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The genius factor appropriate for?

The genius factor is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LP (Light — Physical).

What genre is The genius factor?

The genius factor is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The genius factor have any content warnings?

The genius factor has a HootRating of 9LP (Light — Physical). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is The genius factor?

The genius factor by Paul Tobin is 260 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

The genius factor

Paul Tobin

The genius factor

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

how to capture an invisible cat

by Paul Tobin

Reading Level 4-5 9LP 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.

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About This Book

Nate Bannister is in the middle of a wild Friday the 13th adventure—he just made his cat Proton invisible and way bigger than ever! Now, as Proton stomps through town, Nate and his only friend Delphine have to stop the chaos before things get out of paw. But when the mysterious and dangerous Sir Jakob Maculte appears with his creepy Red Death Tea Society, will their inventions be enough to save the day?

Themes

GeniusHumor AdventureScienceExperimentsFriendship

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction book follows Nate Bannister, a clever sixth grader whose inventive experiments lead to hilarious and thrilling adventures. Appropriate for ages 9-12, the story blends humor, science, and action, featuring mild peril and inventive problem-solving. Parents should note the presence of fantastical elements and some cartoonish conflict but no graphic content.

Why we rated The genius factor 9LP

The genius factor is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 740L across 260 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The genius factor works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The genius factor as 9LP ("Light — Physical") 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 genius factor explores genius, humor, adventure, science, and experiments — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.