What reading level is The Secret Cookie Club?

The Secret Cookie Club by Martha Freeman is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 750L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The Secret Cookie Club appropriate for?

The Secret Cookie Club is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The Secret Cookie Club?

The Secret Cookie Club is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The Secret Cookie Club have any content warnings?

The Secret Cookie Club has a HootRating of 9LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is The Secret Cookie Club?

The Secret Cookie Club by Martha Freeman is 295 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

The Secret Cookie Club

Martha Freeman

The Secret Cookie Club

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Martha Freeman

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 sweet scent of freshly baked cookies fills the air, warm and inviting. Four girls from different worlds meet at Moonlight Ranch camp and create a secret club sealed with friendship and delicious treats. Through letters and recipes, their bond grows stronger even when they're miles apart.

Themes

Friendship FamilyClubsCookiesSchools

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction centers on four diverse girls who form a lasting friendship at summer camp through sharing homemade cookies and letters. The story highlights themes of friendship, family life, and cooperation, suitable for ages 9-12. It offers positive messages about connection and cultural sharing without any intense content.

Why we rated The Secret Cookie Club 9LE

The Secret Cookie Club is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 750L across 295 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Secret Cookie Club works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The Secret Cookie Club as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") 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 Secret Cookie Club explores friendship, family, clubs, cookies, and schools — 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 friendship, family, clubs.

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