What reading level is the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series?

The Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series by Matthew K. Manning is at a Grades 4.1–4.5 reading level (average Grade 4.3). Intended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). There are 5 books in the series.

What order should I read the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns books?

The Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series has 5 books in order: 1. Magic Smells Awful, 2. Return to Pegasia, 3. Revenge of the One-Trick Pony, 4. The Search for Stalor, 5. Who Turned Off the Colors?.

What age is the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series appropriate for?

The Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series is recommended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). The average content intensity is 2/5.

Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns Books in Order

5 books by Matthew K. Manning. Reading level: Grades 4.1–4.5. Middle Grades (Ages 9–12).

Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns (5 books by Matthew K. Manning) lands at reading level Grades 4.1–4.5, with average content intensity 2/5.

The reading-order table below lists every book with per-volume reading level and intensity badges so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.

Books

Grades 4.1–4.5

Reading Level

2/5

Avg. Intensity

Middle Grades

Content Intensity Across the Series

Varies

Content intensity ranges from Gentle to Moderate across the series.

First book Latest book

Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns Reading Order

#	Title	Reading Level	Content
1	Magic Smells Awful Matthew K. Manning	Level 4-5	Mild
2	Return to Pegasia Matthew K. Manning	Level 4-5	Mild
3	Revenge of the One-Trick Pony Matthew K. Manning	Level 4-5	Mild
4	The Search for Stalor Matthew K. Manning	Level 4-5	Moderate
5	Who Turned Off the Colors? Matthew K. Manning	Level 4-5	Gentle

All Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns Books

Magic Smells Awful

Matthew K. Manning

Magic Smells Awful

Matthew K. Manning

Level 4-5 Mild

Return to Pegasia

Matthew K. Manning

Return to Pegasia

Matthew K. Manning

Level 4-5 Mild

Revenge of the One-Trick Pony

Matthew K. Manning

Revenge of the One-Trick Pony

Matthew K. Manning

Level 4-5 Mild

The Search for Stalor

Matthew K. Manning

The Search for Stalor

Matthew K. Manning

Level 4-5 Moderate

Who Turned Off the Colors?

Matthew K. Manning

Who Turned Off the Colors?

Matthew K. Manning

Level 4-5 Gentle

Questions about the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series

What reading level is the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series?: The Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series by Matthew K. Manning is at a Grades 4.1–4.5 reading level (average Grade 4.3). Intended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). There are 5 books in the series.
What order should I read the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns books?: The reading-order table above lists all 5 books with per-volume reading level and intensity ratings. Start with book 1 and read in publication order unless the table indicates a different recommended order for newer readers.
What age is the Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series appropriate for?: The Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns series is recommended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). The average content intensity is 2/5. Check the intensity trajectory above to see whether content gets heavier across the series — if it does, sensitive readers may want to stop earlier in the run.