The night I flunked my field trip

Name: The night I flunked my field trip
Author: Henry Winkler
ISBN: 0448433524

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Henry Winkler

Reading Level 3-4 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

What if your school trip turned into a wild adventure on a giant sailing ship? Imagine being chosen as first mate, but the captain is a little too serious about his job. Can Hank survive the craziest night on the water without sinking the whole trip?

Themes

SchoolHumor Adventure Friendship

Quick Assessment

When Hank's class spends a night aboard an old sailing ship in New York Harbor, his appointment as first mate quickly becomes a headache under a captain who is very strict about his duties. The tone is lighthearted, with slapstick humor and a few tense moments on the water, and it suits young readers who enjoy funny school adventures. Parents should expect mild peril and some comedic chaos, with no concerning content.

Why we rated The night I flunked my field trip C (Gentle)

The night I flunked my field trip is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 154 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage The night I flunked my field trip on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The night I flunked my field trip as C (Gentle) 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 night I flunked my field trip explores school, humor, adventure, and friendship — 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 school, humor, adventure.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: high

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