Good Days, Bad Days
The National Football League
Good Days, Bad Days
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
An Official NFL Book
by The National Football League
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
These football stars aren’t just heroes on the field—they’ve faced big wins and tough losses off the field, too. Discover what makes them champions beyond the game, and why their stories matter more than just touchdowns.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This book offers an engaging collection of personal stories from fifteen NFL players, highlighting both their successes and challenges in sports and life. Suitable for middle-grade readers, it provides insight into perseverance, sportsmanship, and the realities of professional football without intense content.
Why we rated Good Days, Bad Days 9LE
Good Days, Bad Days is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 119 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Good Days, Bad Days works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Good Days, Bad Days 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, Good Days, Bad Days explores biography, sports, friendship, coming of age, and family — 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 biography, sports, friendship.
- ✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — 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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780140363418
- Pages
- 119
- Publisher
- Puffin Books
- Published
- September 1, 1995
- Type
- Nonfiction