What reading level is The secret life of Lincoln Jones?

The secret life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 740L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The secret life of Lincoln Jones appropriate for?

The secret life of Lincoln Jones is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The secret life of Lincoln Jones?

The secret life of Lincoln Jones is fiction.

Does The secret life of Lincoln Jones have any content warnings?

The secret life of Lincoln Jones 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 life of Lincoln Jones?

The secret life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen is 262 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

The secret life of Lincoln Jones

Wendelin Van Draanen

The secret life of Lincoln Jones

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Wendelin Van Draanen

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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

The creak of Lincoln's notebook pages echoes like a secret spell, weaving tales of psychic vampires, wheelchair zombies, and a one-eyed cat prowling the shadows. Yet, the real mystery lurks in the halls of his new school, where a curious sixth grader named Kandi Kain won't stop chasing the truth about Lincoln's hidden world. As the stories and reality collide, Lincoln faces a new kind of bravery—the courage to be himself.

Themes

Friendship Family Coming of Age HumorChild Authors

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Lincoln Jones, a boy who escapes into his vivid stories to cope with the complexities of real life and new school challenges. The book gently explores themes of friendship, family dynamics, and personal growth, suitable for readers aged 9 to 12. While lighthearted and humorous, it also offers poignant reflections on courage and self-discovery, with no content concerns for this age group.

Why we rated The secret life of Lincoln Jones 9LE

The secret life of Lincoln Jones is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 740L across 262 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The secret life of Lincoln Jones works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The secret life of Lincoln Jones as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, The secret life of Lincoln Jones explores friendship, family, coming of age, humor, and child authors — 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, coming of age.