Dog That Stole Football Plays
Matt Christopher
Dog That Stole Football Plays
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Matt Christopher
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The crowd roars as Mike clutches the football, eyes darting to Harry, his dog, who seems to know the other team's next move. Suddenly, a secret play unfolds on the field, and Mike freezes—can he trust Harry’s mind-reading gift, or will it all come crashing down?
Quick Assessment
This early reader fiction features Mike and his telepathic dog Harry, who can sense the opposing football team's plans. The story explores themes of fairness and integrity in sports, suitable for children ages 5-8. The language and illustrations support emergent readers, making it a fun and engaging introduction to sportsmanship.
Why we rated Dog That Stole Football Plays 7LT
Dog That Stole Football Plays is written at a Level 2 reading level across 32 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dog That Stole Football Plays works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Dog That Stole Football Plays as 7LT ("Light — Thematic") 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, Dog That Stole Football Plays explores friendship, sports, and fantasy world-building — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, sports, fantasy world-building.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7LT — Light — ThematicNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780316218498
- Pages
- 32
- Publisher
- LB Kids
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction