What reading level is The Voice on the Radio?

The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney is at a Level 4-5 reading level. Recommended for Upper Grades readers (Ages 13+).

What age is The Voice on the Radio appropriate for?

The Voice on the Radio is recommended for Ages 13+. HootRating: 9MN (Moderate — Neutral). Content flags: Emotional: Betrayal, Emotional: Family Conflict.

What genre is The Voice on the Radio?

The Voice on the Radio is fiction — Brothers and sisters. Part of the Janie series.

Does The Voice on the Radio have any content warnings?

The Voice on the Radio has a HootRating of 9MN (Moderate — Neutral). Content flags include: Emotional: Betrayal, Emotional: Family Conflict. 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 Voice on the Radio?

The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney is 183 pages (approximately 41,814 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

The Voice on the Radio

Caroline B. Cooney

The Voice on the Radio

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Caroline B. Cooney

Janie

Reading Level 4-5 9MN Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

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About This Book

At sixteen, Janie faces heartbreak and shock when she uncovers a painful betrayal involving her boyfriend and her family, revealed through his college radio broadcast. As she navigates this emotional storm, she must find the strength to confront the truth and heal from the wounds it leaves behind.

Themes

Coming of Age Family Friendship Identity & Self-Discovery

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include emotional: betrayal, emotional: family conflict. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated The Voice on the Radio 9MN

The Voice on the Radio is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 183 pages (approximately 41,814 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Voice on the Radio works for readers up to grade 6.6.

Read aloud, The Voice on the Radio runs about 4.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The Voice on the Radio as 9MN ("Moderate — Neutral") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Emotional: Betrayal, Emotional: Family Conflict.

Thematically, The Voice on the Radio explores coming of age, family, friendship, and identity & self-discovery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, friendship.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 4 more books in the Janie series.