What reading level is The great dog disaster?

The great dog disaster by Katie Davies is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 780L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The great dog disaster appropriate for?

The great dog disaster is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The great dog disaster?

The great dog disaster is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The great dog disaster have any content warnings?

The great dog disaster has a HootRating of 9LE (Light — Emotional). 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 dog disaster?

The great dog disaster by Katie Davies is 200 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

The great dog disaster

Katie Davies

The great dog disaster

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Katie Davies

Reading Level 4-5 9LE 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

What if a big, slow, and rather grumpy old dog showed up at your house just when you thought you'd never have a pet again? Suzanne and her sister Anna are ready to teach Beatrice new tricks, hoping she can be the perfect dog. But what if their plan isn't enough to stop their dad from making a tough decision?

Themes

Humor FamilySiblingsPetsResponsibility

Quick Assessment

This humorous middle-grade novel follows Suzanne and her sister Anna as they try to care for Beatrice, an elderly Newfoundland dog with health issues. The story explores family dynamics, responsibility, and the challenges of caring for pets, making it appropriate for readers ages 9 to 12. The book handles themes of family change and resilience with lightheartedness and warmth.

Why we rated The great dog disaster 9LE

The great dog disaster is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 780L across 200 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The great dog disaster works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The great dog disaster as 9LE ("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 great dog disaster explores humor, family, siblings, pets, and responsibility — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about humor, family, siblings.