The unflushables
Ron Bates
The unflushables
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ron Bates
The text is written at a 7th 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
Nobody thought plumbers could be heroes—until Sully Stringfellow and his band of sewer defenders proved them wrong. When mutant creatures overrun Nitro City, these unexpected champions dive into the underground chaos to save the day. Can they stop a disaster before the explosive Burrito Festival turns everything upside down?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction blends humor and adventure as it follows 13-year-old Sully and a group of unlikely heroes fighting to protect their city’s sewers from a corporate takeover and mutant threats. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story offers lighthearted action with imaginative scenarios involving underground settings and teamwork. Parents should note the comedic tone and mild peril elements typical of juvenile adventure stories.
Why we rated The unflushables 12LP
The unflushables is written at a Level 7 reading level across 321 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The unflushables works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The unflushables as 12LP ("Light — Physical") 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 unflushables explores humor, adventure, friendship, middle school life, and fantasy world-building — 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, adventure, friendship.
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
12LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9780316510004
- Pages
- 321
- Publisher
- jimmy patterson
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction