Game

Name: Game
Author: Elizabeth Neal
ISBN: 9781541540316

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Elizabeth Neal

Do-Over

Reading Level 4-5 C · Gentle Ages 13+ Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Marcus and Taj have always struggled on the basketball court, but when the last game of the season gives them a shot to prove themselves, everything changes. After a missed opportunity, Marcus is surprised by a mysterious message offering a chance to rewrite the game’s ending. Facing a tough choice, he must decide if fixing his mistake is worth overshadowing his friend's big moment.

Themes

Friendship Sports Family Coming of AgeSchools

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated Game C (Gentle)

Game is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 104 pages (approximately 14,913 words). Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

Read aloud, Game runs about 1.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Game 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, Game explores friendship, sports, family, coming of age, and schools — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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, sports, family.

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?