Football Foul Play

Name: Football Foul Play
Author: Jake Maddox
ISBN: 9781663911155

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jake Maddox

Jake Maddox; Jake Maddox JV Mysteries

Reading Level 4 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Kenny and Romeo team up to solve the mystery of the missing football trophy, following clues and facing challenges on their way to uncover the culprit. Their friendship and determination are put to the test as they dive into an exciting sports adventure. Will they catch the thief before the big game?

Themes

Friendship Mystery Sports Adventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Football Foul Play C (Gentle)

Football Foul Play is written at a Level 4 reading level across 96 pages (approximately 9,859 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Football Foul Play on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Football Foul Play runs about 1.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Football Foul Play as C (Gentle) 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, Football Foul Play explores friendship, mystery, sports, and adventure — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, mystery, sports.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Jake Maddox; Jake Maddox JV Mysteries series.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?