Football Trials
John Hickman
Football Trials
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Kick Off
by John Hickman
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if you were the best football player in the park, and then a scout from a top team noticed you? Imagine stepping into a huge football academy where everyone already knows each other, but you don’t. Can Jackson show his skills and keep his cool to make it all the way to the premier league?
Quick Assessment
Football Trials is an engaging coming-of-age story about Jackson, a talented young footballer from a tower block who gets a chance to join a premier league academy. Aimed at early readers aged 5-8, it features relatable challenges like fitting in and managing emotions. The book supports struggling readers with dyslexia-friendly design and accessible language, making it a great choice for children developing their reading skills.
Why we rated Football Trials 8LE
Football Trials is written at a Level 3 reading level across 81 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Football Trials works for readers up to grade 5.0.
We rate Football Trials as 8LE ("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 Trials explores friendship, coming of age, sports, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, sports.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
8LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781472944122
- Pages
- 81
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction