Head hunter
Eric Howling
Head hunter
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Eric Howling
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
What if your coach, who also happens to be your dad, starts acting really strange both on and off the field? Imagine being the team captain who has to figure out if your dad's tough new attitude is just about winning or something more serious. When you're asked to do something risky during the big game, will you follow orders or listen to your heart?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction centers around Colt, a young football captain dealing with his father's troubling behavior, which stems from concussion-related issues from his NFL past. The story highlights the dangers of head injuries in contact sports and encourages conversations about safety and integrity in youth athletics. Suitable for ages 9-12, it handles complex topics like brain health in an age-appropriate, engaging way.
Why we rated Head hunter 9ME
Head hunter is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 125 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Head hunter works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Head hunter 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, physical peril — 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, Head hunter explores sports, brain health, family, coming of age, and friendship — 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 sports, brain health, family.
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
- 9781459409675
- Pages
- 125
- Publisher
- James Lorimer & Company
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction