What reading level is The great brain?

The great brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald is at a Level 5-6 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The great brain appropriate for?

The great brain is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 10C (Clear).

What genre is The great brain?

The great brain is fiction — Juvenile Fiction. Part of the Great Brain series.

Does The great brain have any content warnings?

The great brain has a HootRating of 10C (Clear). 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 great brain?

The great brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald is 175 pages (approximately 47,205 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

The great brain

John Dennis Fitzgerald

The great brain

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by John Dennis Fitzgerald

Great Brain

Reading Level 5-6 10C Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 5th 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

Tom uses his clever thinking to tackle tricky problems, amazing everyone around him, especially his brother. His quick wit leads to fun and surprising adventures that show the power of a sharp mind. Join Tom as he turns challenges into opportunities with his brilliant ideas.

Themes

Family Friendship Humor Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated The great brain 10C

The great brain is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 175 pages (approximately 47,205 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.2 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The great brain works for readers up to grade 7.2.

Read aloud, The great brain runs about 5.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The great brain as 10C ("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 great brain explores family, friendship, humor, 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, friendship, humor.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 7 more books in the Great Brain 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.