Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The last present
Wendy Mass
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Connor is the only one who can save his little sister—not just in this world, but in a whole other universe! He must outsmart his alternate self to bring her back. What happens next could change everything.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Amanda and Leo travel back through a friend's little sister's past birthdays to find out why she has fallen into a strange frozen state and how to save her. It is a fantasy with time-travel and paranormal elements, with a focus on friendship, family and puzzle-solving rather than graphic detail. The main tension comes from a sick child and a race against time, which some sensitive readers may find worrying, so it is worth a conversation about what happens.
Why we rated The last present LE (Mild)
The last present is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 246 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage The last present on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
We rate The last present as LE (Mild, mostly 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 last present explores friendship, paranormal fiction, and birthdays — 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, paranormal fiction, birthdays.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading 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
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780545310161
- Pages
- 246
- Publisher
- Scholastic Press
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction