Football hero
Tim Green
Football hero
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Football Genius Novel
by Tim Green
The text is written at a 6th 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
What if getting picked for the football team isn’t just about the game? Ty Lewis is ready to show off his speed and follow in his brother's NFL footsteps, but his guardian's strange rules and a scary mob boss named Lucy are making things complicated. Can Ty figure out what Lucy really wants before it's too late?
Quick Assessment
Football Hero follows Ty Lewis, a middle schooler who gets a chance to play football and live up to his older brother's NFL dreams. However, his guardian's involvement with a local mob boss brings tension and danger, introducing themes of family loyalty and ethical challenges. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book contains mild peril and explores complex social situations without graphic content.
Why we rated Football hero 11ME
Football hero is written at a Level 6 reading level across 297 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Football hero works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Football hero as 11ME ("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: Mild Peril, Mafia Involvement.
Thematically, Football hero explores sports, family, brotherhood, adventure, and morality — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about sports, family, brotherhood.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — 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
3/10A 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
- 9780061122743
- Pages
- 297
- Publisher
- Harper Collins
- Published
- 2008
- Type
- Fiction