Good If It Goes
Gary Provost, Gail Levine-Freidus
Good If It Goes
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Gary Provost, Gail Levine-Freidus
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: David’s big basketball games aren’t the only things on his mind. He’s rushing to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah sooner than planned because his grandpa needs to be there. But that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows twelve-year-old David as he balances his love for basketball with the emotional challenge of moving his Bar Mitzvah up to include his ailing grandfather. The story gently explores themes of family, illness, and growing up, making it suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware that it addresses family illness with sensitivity and emotional depth.
Why we rated Good If It Goes 9ME
Good If It Goes is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 146 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Good If It Goes works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Good If It Goes as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. 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 moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Good If It Goes explores family, coming of age, and sports — 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, sports.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" 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
- 9780425099308
- Pages
- 146
- Publisher
- Aladdin Library
- Published
- 1990-05-01
- Type
- Fiction