For what ages do you think his (and McIntyre's) writing is appropriate and why? What do you think children of that age might learn (or how might they otherwise benefit) from reading this material?

The use of snakes was a little creepy, but interesting as I read. These creatures are treated with respect and that's a good example for children. The fact that there were three parents was a little confusing to me, but it's honestly easily glossed over. I feel like this story could help children learn to accept others that are different from themselves as they see more tolerance in the child, Stavin, than in his family. Considering the suggestion of more than just a friendship between Snake and Arevin, I feel like this reflects a stronger rating, but since nothing actually happens and she only noticed his body then that also weighs in.

I feel this could be acceptable for maybe about 10 or 11? I mostly base this off of my own reading as a child though. That was about the age when I started reading series, such as Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. The former could get rather violent at times and the second had light violence and implied sexuality. This is the same area i'd place this story in.

You and Tamara were the only ones to hit on what I see as the main theme of the McIntyre--acceptance of and respect for difference.
The hints of adult material you see here become actuality later in this novel, so I'd go with that stronger rating:-)
Like you, I read sci fi early on--mostly Bradbury and Heinlein at 11 (I've read Card and McCafreey since).
Any thoughts, given your familiarity with the genre, on its benefits in general as the literature of the possible?

Well, sci-fi introduces ideas that because of their position they seem as though they could actually be attainable. Heck, looking back we can see people dreaming of things that we ourselves have since attained or are currently working toward. It sets people to dreaming and thinking. Cellphones, computers, laptops particularly, even robotic endeavors were inspired by science fiction to some degree. The idea of robots was actually around long before the technology could even be properly dreamed of. The very term "robot" was first a term from a play written by Karel Čapek in 1920.

NAILED it--and it's possible that those who read sci fi as kids were inspired by that to go on and create these inventions. Doesn't sci fi, in part, also drive all who dream of and work toward space travel and colonization? And how about sci fi and quantum physics?
Good on the reference Capek, though the IDEA of robots/automatons goes much further back.

[The except from Dreamsnake can be found here.]