It's a Love/Skate Relationship
Carli J. Corson
It's a Love/Skate Relationship
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carli J. Corson
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.
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About This Book
What happens when a fiery hockey player and a graceful figure skater are forced to team up? Charlie's world turns upside down when she's banned from hockey, but a surprising offer from Alexa could be her ticket back on the ice. Can two rivals learn to skate together—and maybe even fall in love?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of friendship, sportsmanship, and first love through the story of Charlie, a passionate hockey player, and Alexa, a poised figure skater. After a suspension sidelines Charlie, she must team up with Alexa under high stakes to compete in figure skating and secure college scouting opportunities. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book offers positive LGBTQ+ representation and handles conflict and rivalry in an age-appropriate way.
Why we rated It's a Love/Skate Relationship 12LE
It's a Love/Skate Relationship is written at a Level 7 reading level across 314 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, It's a Love/Skate Relationship works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate It's a Love/Skate Relationship as 12LE ("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, It's a Love/Skate Relationship explores friendship, coming of age, family, romance, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
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
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780063370869
- Pages
- 314
- Publisher
- Harper/HarperCollins Publishers
- Published
- 2025
- Type
- Fiction