First Team
Tim Green
First Team
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 has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Brock has a strong left arm and dreams of making the first team as quarterback, but the coaches have other plans for kids like him. Living on the wrong side of the tracks isn't easy, especially when your dad's past comes back to haunt you. Can Brock rise above it all and prove he belongs on that field?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Brock, a determined young quarterback facing challenges both on and off the football field. The story explores themes of friendship, family struggles, and social barriers, with some references to past family issues that affect Brock's life. Suitable for ages 9-12, it deals with realistic social challenges in an accessible way for this age group.
Why we rated First Team 12ME
First Team is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, First Team works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate First Team as 12ME ("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, First Team explores friendship, family, sports, interpersonal relations, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, sports.
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
12ME — 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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062208767
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction