Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend
Francesca Simon
Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Francesca Simon
Illustrated by Ross, Tony, illustrator
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
What if you had a chance to outscore everyone in the soccer game but things didn't go quite as planned? Imagine Horrid Henry trying every trick in the book to become the soccer star, only to find himself in hilarious trouble. Can Henry win the game without causing a total disaster?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This book features four humorous stories about Horrid Henry's mischievous adventures, particularly focusing on his attempts to excel at soccer. Suitable for children ages 9-12, the stories explore themes of behavior and consequences with lighthearted humor. Parents should know the book includes typical childhood mischief but contains no serious content concerns.
Why we rated Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend 9C
Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 101 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Horrid Henry and the soccer fiend explores humor, behavior, friendship, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about humor, behavior, friendship.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781599611891
- Pages
- 101
- Publisher
- Chapter Books
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction