Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words
Alvin Schwartz
Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Trickery and Foolery with Words
by Alvin Schwartz
The text is written at a 4th 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
The room buzzes with laughter as a tricky riddle flies across the table. Suddenly, a clever joke twists the game, and everyone's guess leaves the air thick with surprise. But just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the fun takes an unexpected turn...
Themes
Quick Assessment
This collection features riddles, wisecracks, and practical jokes designed to entertain children ages 9 to 12. It encourages playful language use and social interaction through humor. The book is appropriate for middle-grade readers and contains no sensitive content.
Why we rated Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words 9C
Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 130 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words as 9C ("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, Tomfoolery, Trickery and Foolery With Words explores humor, friendship, and children: babies & toddlers — 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 humor, friendship, children: babies & toddlers.
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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780553150018
- Pages
- 130
- Publisher
- Bantam Books
- Published
- September 1976
- Type
- Fiction