Trash
Andy Mulligan
Trash
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Andy Mulligan
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Raphael dives into a mountain of steaming trash, searching for something that could change everything. Suddenly, a small leather bag slips into his hands—a bag full of secrets and hope. But the police are closing in, and now Raphael and his friends must run for their lives, chasing the truth before it's too late.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Raphael, a boy living and working on a dumpsite, who discovers a mysterious leather bag containing important clues. Along with his friends, he faces danger while uncovering a political corruption scandal. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book addresses themes of poverty and social injustice with some peril and suspense, but it is handled in an age-appropriate manner.
Why we rated Trash 11MS
Trash 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, Trash works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Trash as 11MS ("Moderate — Social") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — 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 moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Trash explores mystery, adventure, friendship, poverty, and political corruption — 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 mystery, adventure, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11MS — Moderate — SocialReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 9781409098119
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Random House
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction