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The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog)

Acton Figueroa

Cover of The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog)

The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog)

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Acton Figueroa

Illustrated by John Kurtz

Reading Level 2 7C Ages 5-8 Matched

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.

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About This Book

Here’s a secret: Clifford is about to try the biggest pumpkin pie anyone has ever seen. It’s sweet, squishy, and maybe a little messy—but that's only the beginning of the fun at Harvest Day Festival!

Themes

Juvenile fictionContestsPiesDogsFriendshipFamily

Quick Assessment

This early reader book features Clifford the Big Red Dog at a Harvest Day Festival where he competes to eat the largest pumpkin pie. Suitable for ages 5-8, the story encourages reading confidence with simple text and familiar characters. Parents can expect lighthearted themes around contests and community events without any concerning content.

Why we rated The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog) 7C

The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog) is written at a Level 2 reading level across 36 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog) works for readers up to grade 4.0.

We rate The Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog) as 7C ("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 Pumpkin Pie Prize (Clifford the Big Red Dog) explores juvenile fiction, contests, pies, dogs, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

  • Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
  • Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
  • Kids drawn to stories about juvenile fiction, contests, pies.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

7C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

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

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
2
Emotional Weight
2
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

36 pages
ISBN
9780439755320
Pages
36
Publisher
Scholastic, Inc.
Published
2005
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

CliffordContestsPiesDogs