Counting Coup
Larry Colton
Counting Coup
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little Big Horn
by Larry Colton
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
A diverse high school girls' basketball team from a small Montana town unites Crow Indian and white players as they strive for victory, carrying the weight of their community's hopes on their shoulders. Their journey on and off the court reveals strength, resilience, and the power of teamwork. Experience the challenges and triumphs that bring this group together during an unforgettable season.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 7 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, identity & self-discovery, racial discrimination. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Counting Coup 12LE
Counting Coup is written at a Level 7 reading level across 420 pages (approximately 110,803 words). Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Counting Coup works for readers up to grade 9.0.
Read aloud, Counting Coup runs about 12.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Counting Coup as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Identity & Self-Discovery, Racial Discrimination.
Thematically, Counting Coup explores sports, friendship, coming of age, multicultural, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about sports, friendship, coming of age.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
6/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0446526835
- Pages
- 420
- Publisher
- Grand Central Pub
- Published
- September 2000
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Word Count
- 110,803
- Read-Aloud
- ~12h 19m
- Text Density
- Dense