What reading level is Game seven?

Game seven by Paul Volponi is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 770L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Game seven appropriate for?

Game seven is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is Game seven?

Game seven is fiction — Baseball stories.

Does Game seven have any content warnings?

Game seven has a HootRating of 9ME (Moderate — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Game seven?

Game seven by Paul Volponi is 243 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Game seven

Paul Volponi

Game seven

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Paul Volponi

Reading Level 4-5 9ME 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.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

Here’s a secret: a sixteen-year-old baseball star in Cuba hides a big dream—to play with the pros. But there’s a twist—his father left for the U.S., and now he faces a choice that could change everything. And that’s only the beginning.

Themes

Family Coming of Age Multicultural SportsFiction

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows a Cuban teenager torn between loyalty to his homeland and his father who defected to the United States. It explores themes of family, identity, and difficult choices suitable for ages 9-12. The book provides a thoughtful look at cultural and emotional challenges without intense content.

Why we rated Game seven 9ME

Game seven is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 770L across 243 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Game seven works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Game seven as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, Game seven explores family, coming of age, multicultural, sports, and fiction — 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.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, coming of age, multicultural.