Timmy Failure
Stephan Pastis
Timmy Failure
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Now Look What You've Done
by Stephan Pastis
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: Timmy Failure, the world’s most confident detective, is on a new mission to solve the mystery of the missing globe. With his lazy polar bear sidekick and his quirky Great-Aunt Colander, he’s ready to crack the biggest case ever—but that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade sequel follows Timmy Failure as he enters a school contest to find a stolen globe and win a cash prize. Filled with humor and mild mystery elements, it’s suitable for ages 9 to 12 and encourages problem-solving and creativity without any intense content.
Why we rated Timmy Failure 11C
Timmy Failure is written at a Level 6 reading level across 275 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Timmy Failure works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Timmy Failure as 11C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Timmy Failure explores detectives, mystery, schools, humor, and contests — 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 detectives, mystery, schools.
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
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" 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
- 9780763660512
- Pages
- 275
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction