Football champ
Tim Green
Football champ
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Troy can predict football plays like no one else—it's almost like he can see the future! When his amazing talent helps the Atlanta Falcons win big, not everyone believes it's real. But when a sneaky reporter starts digging for dirt, Troy and his teammate Seth must face the challenge of clearing their names.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows twelve-year-old Troy, who has an extraordinary ability to predict football plays, helping his team succeed. The story explores themes of family, sportsmanship, and dealing with false accusations from a suspicious reporter. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book includes mild tension but no graphic content.
Why we rated Football champ 12LE
Football champ is written at a Level 7 reading level across 307 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Football champ works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Football champ 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Football champ explores family, sports & recreation, friendship, and social justice — 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 family, sports & recreation, 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 — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9781410422132
- Pages
- 307
- Publisher
- Thorndike Press
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction