Double play
Tim Green
Double play
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tim Green
The text is written at a 7th 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 crack of the bat echoes through the summer air, mixing with the smell of fresh-cut grass and leather gloves. Jalen DeLuca feels the electric buzz of the game as he steps up to the mound, knowing he can predict every pitch before it happens. But when his hero, JY, and he face big challenges on and off the field, will their teamwork be enough to win the ultimate double play?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Double Play follows Jalen DeLuca, a young baseball prodigy with an extraordinary ability to predict pitches, as he navigates the challenges of competitive sports and personal growth. The story explores themes of teamwork, perseverance, and identity, set against the backdrop of youth baseball and a major league subplot. Suitable for ages 9-12, it handles sports competition and interpersonal conflicts with positive messages and no concerning content.
Why we rated Double play 12LE
Double play is written at a Level 7 reading level across 335 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Double play works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Double play as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") 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, Double play explores baseball, sports, friendship, coming of age, 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about baseball, sports, friendship.
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 — EmotionalNo 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781534406681
- Pages
- 335
- Publisher
- Aladdin
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction