To Catch a Mermaid
Suzanne Selfors
To Catch a Mermaid
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Suzanne Selfors
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
Boomerang Broom is the only kid in town who finds a baby mermaid that can grant wishes — and that's just the start of the magic! When his little sister begs to keep her, the whole family’s life flips upside down in the funniest and most unexpected ways. This isn’t your ordinary adventure; it’s a splash of magic that changes everything.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy novel follows 12-year-old Boomerang as he discovers a wish-granting baby mermaid, leading to humorous and magical family adventures. It's suitable for ages 9-12 and offers light fantasy and humor without intense content. Parents can expect themes of family, magic, and the consequences of wishes, with no concerning material.
Why we rated To Catch a Mermaid 11C
To Catch a Mermaid is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, To Catch a Mermaid works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate To Catch a Mermaid 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, To Catch a Mermaid explores fantasy, humor, family, magic, and adventure — 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 fantasy, humor, family.
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
- 9780316018166
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Little Brown & Company
- Published
- September 1, 2007
- Type
- Fiction