Home run
Tim Green
Home run
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tim Green
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
The crack of the bat echoes through the humid summer air, sending the ball soaring over the fence. Josh feels the rough grip of the bat in his hands and the pounding of his heart as hope flickers inside him. Can twenty home runs save his family and bring them back together?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Josh, whose family faces upheaval when his father leaves, leading to a move into a smaller, less familiar neighborhood. Amidst challenges with a tough new baseball coach, Josh aims to win a home-run derby that could secure a new home for his family. Suitable for ages 9-12, it explores themes of family, perseverance, and sportsmanship with no intense content.
Why we rated Home run 12ME
Home run is written at a Level 7 reading level across 343 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Home run works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Home run as 12ME ("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, Home run explores family, baseball, juvenile fiction, contests, and family life — 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 family, baseball, juvenile fiction.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Baseball great
Tim Green
Baseball great
Tim Green
Home run hero
Dean Hughes
Home run hero
Dean Hughes
Home Run King
Joel Silkoff
Home Run King
Joel Silkoff
Baseball rival
Tim Green
Baseball rival
Tim Green
Home Run Has-Been (Kinetic City Super Crew Series)
Emily Lloyd
Home Run Has-Been (Kinetic City Super Crew Series)
Emily Lloyd
Best of the Best
Tim Green
Best of the Best
Tim Green
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062317117
- Pages
- 343
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction