Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT!
Jim Smith
Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT!
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jim Smith
The text is written at a 6th 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 thud of the ball echoes across the field, the grass smells fresh and a little sweaty, and Barry’s sneakers squeak as he chases after the soccer ball. But instead of scoring goals, Barry just can’t seem to get it right. It’s a day full of funny fails, but maybe being ‘the best’ isn’t the only way to have fun.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This humorous middle-grade fiction follows Barry as he discovers that sports don’t always go as planned, emphasizing resilience and friendship. Suitable for ages 9-12, it portrays the ups and downs of trying something new with lighthearted comedy and relatable situations. There is no intense content, making it appropriate for this age group.
Why we rated Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT! 11C
Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT! is written at a Level 6 reading level across 240 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT! works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT! as 11C ("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, Barry Loser Is the Best at Football NOT! explores friendship, humor, and sports — 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 friendship, humor, sports.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 9781780318059
- Pages
- 240
- Publisher
- Barry Loser Series
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction