The museum of intangible things
Wendy Wunder
The museum of intangible things
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Wendy Wunder
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The rumble of an old car engine fills the air as Hannah and Zoe speed away from their small town, chasing wild storms and brighter dreams. The scent of rain and adventure wraps around them as they discover new friends and big ideas like courage and happiness. With every mile, their friendship grows stronger, but some secrets and feelings are just beginning to surface.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows two best friends, Hannah and Zoe, as they run away from difficult home lives in New Jersey. Through their road trip westward, they explore themes of mental illness, friendship, and self-discovery, with honest depictions of manic-depressive disorder and the challenges of unstable family environments. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book sensitively addresses these mature topics with humor and heart.
Why we rated The museum of intangible things 11IE
The museum of intangible things is written at a Level 6 reading level across 295 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The museum of intangible things works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The museum of intangible things as 11IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mental Illness.
Thematically, The museum of intangible things explores runaways, mental illness, best friends, coming of age, 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about runaways, mental illness, best friends.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781595145147
- Pages
- 295
- Publisher
- Razorbill
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction