The voice on the radio

Name: The voice on the radio
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
ISBN: 9780385742405

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Caroline B. Cooney

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Reeve has a secret that’s too big for the quiet college radio station—he’s telling Janie’s story live on air! But what happens when the secret spills out and Janie hears everything? Sometimes, the biggest mysteries are the ones closest to home.

Themes

Friendship FamilyBrothers and sistersParent and childMystery

Quick Assessment

Janie is rebuilding her life after a kidnapping, trying to balance two families while her boyfriend Reeve is away at college. When Reeve begins sharing her story on his campus radio show, the fallout tests trust, friendship, and loyalty. Expect suspense and emotionally heavy scenes about the past kidnapping, along with mild romance; the tone is tense but not graphic.

Why we rated The voice on the radio ME (Moderate)

The voice on the radio is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 183 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate The voice on the radio as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

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

Thematically, The voice on the radio explores friendship, family, brothers and sisters, parent and child, and mystery — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, brothers and sisters.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

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