Home court is where you find it
William R. Cox
Home court is where you find it
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by William R. Cox
The text is written at a 6th 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
What happens when a basketball star who's been kicked out of three schools lands at a new boarding school with the worst team around? Suddenly, winning seems impossible, but maybe there's more than just basketball at stake. Can a new home court become the place where everything changes?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows a 16-year-old basketball player from a troubled background who joins an eastern boarding school with a struggling team. It explores themes of friendship, personal growth, and overcoming challenges, suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the realistic depiction of family difficulties and school discipline but will find the story ultimately positive and encouraging.
Why we rated Home court is where you find it 11LE
Home court is where you find it is written at a Level 6 reading level across 207 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Home court is where you find it works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Home court is where you find it as 11LE ("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, Home court is where you find it explores basketball, friendship, boarding schools, schools, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about basketball, friendship, boarding schools.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0396077986
- Pages
- 207
- Publisher
- Dodd Mead
- Published
- 1980
- Type
- Fiction