The Powers
Kevin Stevens
The Powers
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Not-so-super Superheroes
by Kevin Stevens
Illustrated by Dempsey, Sheena, illustrator
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The Powers family zooms through the sky—but oops! Their super strength just smashed Mom’s favorite vase. Can they fix the mess before anyone finds out? Things are about to get even crazier!
Quick Assessment
This humorous middle-grade fiction follows the Powers, a family of superheroes who struggle to control their extraordinary abilities. Geared towards children aged 9-12, the story combines family dynamics and adventure with lighthearted humor. Suitable for young readers looking for fun, relatable characters and entertaining mishaps.
Why we rated The Powers 9C
The Powers is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 117 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Powers works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Powers as 9C ("Clear") 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 Powers explores humor, family, adventure, and juvenile fiction — 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 humor, family, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781908195838
- Pages
- 117
- Publisher
- Little Island
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction