The Maypop kidnapping

Name: The Maypop kidnapping
Author: Cynthia Surrisi
ISBN: 9781467757898

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Cynthia Surrisi

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

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

What if your teacher vanished without a trace? Quinnie is sure something mysterious is happening, but even the town sheriff can’t see it. Together with a sparkling new neighbor, Quinnie digs deeper—what secrets will they uncover?

Themes

MysteryDetectiveFriendship Adventure

Quick Assessment

When Quinnie's teacher disappears from their coastal Maine village, Quinnie suspects a kidnapping and sets out to investigate with her new neighbor, while her sheriff mother believes the teacher simply left town. The story is light and funny, with a cast of quirky characters, and its mild peril comes mostly from the girls' search leading them toward possible danger. Parents should expect suspense and some tension about a missing adult, but no graphic violence.

Why we rated The Maypop kidnapping LE (Mild)

The Maypop kidnapping is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 296 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage The Maypop kidnapping on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The Maypop kidnapping 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 Maypop kidnapping explores mystery, detective, friendship, and adventure — 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 mystery, detective, friendship.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading 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.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?