Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
There will be bears
Ryan Gebhart
There will be bears
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ryan Gebhart
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Tyson is about to prove that sneaking his grandpa out of a nursing home for a big elk hunt is the wildest adventure ever. With a man-eating grizzly on the loose and a six-hundred-pound elk to catch, this story is packed with thrills — but it’s really about how far friendship can go when it’s all on the line.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This humorous and adventurous novel follows thirteen-year-old Tyson as he sneaks his ailing grandpa out of a nursing home to go on a big hunting trip in the Grand Tetons. Aimed at early readers ages 5-8, the story explores themes of family bonds, friendship challenges, and dealing with illness, all set against a backdrop of wilderness adventure. Parents should be aware that the book includes elements of hunting and mild suspense involving wildlife.
Why we rated There will be bears LE (Mild)
There will be bears is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 217 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage There will be bears on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
We rate There will be bears as LE (Mild, mostly 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, There will be bears explores humor, family, adventure, friendship, and hunting — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about humor, family, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading 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
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780763665210
- Pages
- 217
- Publisher
- Candlewick
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction