The other boy

Name: The other boy
Author: M. G. Hennessey
ISBN: 9780062427663

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by M. G. Hennessey

Illustrated by Sfé R. Monster

Reading Level 3 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Here's a secret: Shane loves baseball and drawing, just like any other kid. But there's something about him that only a few people know—and when that secret starts to slip out, everything changes. What will Shane do when his secret is about to be revealed? But that's only the beginning.

Themes

BullyingLGBTQ+ Representation Family Identity & Self-Discovery Friendship

Quick Assessment

Twelve-year-old Shane Woods, a baseball pitcher and aspiring graphic novelist, faces bullying and hateful comments after a classmate threatens to reveal something he has kept private, including his transgender identity. The story focuses on his courage, his friendships, and how his family and friends respond, with emotionally heavy moments and some harsh peer cruelty that open conversations about acceptance.

Why we rated The other boy ME (Moderate)

The other boy is written at a Level 3 reading level across 234 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage The other boy on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The other boy as ME (Moderate, mostly 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, LGBTQ+ Themes.

Thematically, The other boy explores bullying, lgbtq+ representation, family, identity & self-discovery, 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about bullying, lgbtq+ representation, family.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Moderate

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.