Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The governor's dog is missing!
Sneed B. Collard
The governor's dog is missing!
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sneed B. Collard
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.
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About This Book
Twelve-year-olds Slate and Daphne put on their detective hats to solve the puzzling disappearance of Cat, the governor of Montana's beloved dog. Their thrilling search leads them through exciting twists and turns as they race against time to bring Cat safely home. Adventure and mystery await at every corner in this captivating tale.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated The governor's dog is missing! 9C
The governor's dog is missing! is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 780L across 174 pages (approximately 29,289 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The governor's dog is missing! works for readers up to grade 6.6.
Read aloud, The governor's dog is missing! runs about 3.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The governor's dog is missing! as 9C ("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 governor's dog is missing! explores mystery, friendship, adventure, dogs, and practical politics — 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.
- ✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, friendship, adventure.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Slate Stephens Mysteries series.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
6/10Engaging read with solid pacing and interesting themes.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780984446018
- Pages
- 174
- Publisher
- Slate Stephens Mysteries
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 29,289
- Lexile
- 780L
- Read-Aloud
- ~3h 15m
- Text Density
- Standard