Big Slick
Eric Luper
Big Slick
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Eric Luper
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Andrew shuffles the deck, heart pounding as the stakes climb higher at Shushie's secret poker club. With six hundred dollars missing from his dad's register, every card could be his last chance—or his downfall. Can he pull off the risky move that might save him, or will it all come crashing down?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Big Slick follows sixteen-year-old Andrew Lang as he navigates the challenges of adolescence, including family responsibilities, peer pressure, and risky decisions surrounding gambling. The story highlights themes of love, social values, and the consequences of choices, making it suitable for teens aged 13 and up. Parents should be aware of the portrayal of illegal gambling and the associated risks.
Why we rated Big Slick 11ME
Big Slick 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, Big Slick works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Big Slick as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") 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, social complexity — 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, Big Slick explores love & romance, social issues - adolescence, sports & recreation - games - general, peer pressure, and values — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about love & romance, social issues - adolescence, sports & recreation - games - general.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal 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
1/10A 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
- 9780374307998
- Pages
- 240
- Publisher
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
- Published
- September 18, 2007
- Type
- Fiction