Jackie Robinson

Name: Jackie Robinson
Author: Irwin B. Bergman
ISBN: 0791017710

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Irwin B. Bergman

Junior World Biographies

Reading Level 7 LS · Mild · Social Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

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. Its HootRating code, LS, means mild content, mostly social.

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About This Book

Discover the inspiring journey of Jackie Robinson, the trailblazer who broke baseball's color barrier and changed sports forever. Follow his courage and determination as he faced challenges on and off the field to become a legendary player. This story celebrates his legacy and the impact he made beyond the game.

Themes

BiographySports Social Justice Historical Multicultural

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 7 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include racial discrimination. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Jackie Robinson LS (Mild)

Jackie Robinson is written at a Level 7 reading level across 79 pages (approximately 8,928 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 8 and up can manage Jackie Robinson on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Jackie Robinson takes about 60 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate Jackie Robinson as LS (Mild, mostly social) 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Racial Discrimination.

Thematically, Jackie Robinson explores biography, sports, social justice, historical, and multicultural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about biography, sports, social justice.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Junior World Biographies series.
✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LS · Mild · Social

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild ←

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.