Fadeaway
Steven Barwin
Fadeaway
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Steven Barwin
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Renna dribbles down the court, eyes locked on the basket, when suddenly, a shove from behind sends her crashing to the floor. Whispers and snickers follow her down the hallway, and her teammates start acting strange. What is happening to Renna and her team—and can she stop it before everything falls apart?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Fadeaway tells the story of Renna Rashad, a dedicated basketball captain who faces bullying from a new rival on her team. The book explores themes of teamwork, cooperation, and standing up to bullying, making it suitable for children ages 9-12. Parents should be aware that bullying and sports-related conflict are central to the story but are handled in an age-appropriate manner.
Why we rated Fadeaway 9ME
Fadeaway is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 130 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Fadeaway works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Fadeaway as 9ME ("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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying.
Thematically, Fadeaway explores bullying, basketball, teamwork, cooperativeness, 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about bullying, basketball, teamwork.
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
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781552775479
- Pages
- 130
- Publisher
- Lorimer Children & Teens
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction