This is not the Abby show

Name: This is not the Abby show
Author: Debbie Reed Fischer
ISBN: 9780553536348

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Debbie Reed Fischer

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), 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

Abby is not your average kid—she's a math whiz with ADHD who turns summer school upside down! When her life feels like one big disaster, Abby discovers that being different isn’t a setback, it’s her superpower. What happens when your biggest mistakes lead to your greatest adventures?

Themes

ADHDFriendship FamilySchoolsComing of Age Neurodivergent Characters Humor

Quick Assessment

Abby, a gifted student with ADHD, ends up in summer school after a single big mistake, and the story follows her as she handles new family rules, her brother's bar mitzvah, and new friendships. It offers a funny, candid look at how ADHD affects one girl and the people around her, with family tension and social struggles carrying real emotional weight. Content is mostly light and school-, family-, and friendship-centered, and the resolution is hopeful and uplifting.

Why we rated This is not the Abby show LE (Mild)

This is not the Abby show is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 311 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage This is not the Abby show on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate This is not the Abby show 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. 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 mild intensity score.

Thematically, This is not the Abby show explores adhd, friendship, family, schools, and coming of age — 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 adhd, friendship, family.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

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