Around the world

Name: Around the world
Author: John Coy
ISBN: 1584302445

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by John Coy

Reading Level 2 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Matched

A Junior Library Guild selection

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Basketball isn’t just a game—it’s a global adventure! This story bounces from one city to another, showing how players shoot hoops in New York, Australia, China, and beyond. It proves that no matter where you are, basketball connects us all in an exciting race around the world.

Themes

Sports Adventure Multicultural

Quick Assessment

The energetic illustrations and comic-style text boxes emphasize speed and teamwork, with only mild physical contact typical of sports play. It is a lively, upbeat choice for young readers, and it includes instructions for playing the game at the end.

Why we rated Around the world C (Gentle)

Around the world is written at a Level 2 reading level across 32 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 3 and up can manage Around the world on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate Around the world as C (Gentle) 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, Around the world explores sports, adventure, and multicultural — 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 sports, adventure, multicultural.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — Around the world carries an award.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?