Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
Victor Appleton
Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Victor Appleton
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if you could invent a car that runs on electricity and zooms faster than anything anyone’s ever seen? Tom Swift is about to do just that, but when mysterious troubles start popping up, can he protect his amazing invention? The race to save the Electric Runabout has only just begun!
Quick Assessment
This classic middle-grade adventure features Tom Swift, a young inventor who creates an electric car ahead of its time. The story encourages creativity and problem-solving while delivering exciting plot twists appropriate for ages 9 to 12. Parents should note it contains mild peril related to the protection of an invention but no graphic content.
Why we rated Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout 11LP
Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout as 11LP ("Light — Physical") 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, Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout explores adventure, science & nature, friendship, 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, science & nature, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781434494610
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Wildside Press LLC
- Published
- 2007
- Type
- Fiction