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Frozen Fastball

David A. Kelly

Cover of Frozen Fastball

Frozen Fastball

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by David A. Kelly

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

What would you do if your baseball game was almost ruined by a snowy stadium and a mysterious threat? Mike and Kate land in Colorado, where the snow isn't the only thing melting—secrets are too! Who's trying to mess with the scoreboard, and what will the cousins discover deep underground?

Quick Assessment

Frozen Fastball follows cousins Mike and Kate as they tackle a thrilling mystery in a snowy Colorado ballpark. Alongside exciting baseball action, the story incorporates family themes and encourages problem-solving and critical thinking. Suitable for children aged 9-12, the book contains mild suspense but no intense or graphic content.

Why we rated Frozen Fastball 9LE

Frozen Fastball is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Frozen Fastball works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Frozen Fastball as 9LE ("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, Frozen Fastball explores friendship, family, 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about friendship, family, mystery.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

9LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

4/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

112 pages
ISBN
9780525578987
Pages
112
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Published
2020
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

BaseballMystery and Detective StoriesFamilyColorado