Kicker
Michele Martin Bossley
Kicker
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Michele Martin Bossley
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Izzy is the heart of the team, but Julia always steals the spotlight. When mysterious threats and sabotage hit their field, the rivalry turns into a race against time. What secrets link their troubles to a 100-year-old train robbery—and could buried treasure be the prize?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade to young teen novel combines sports rivalry with a mystery involving threats and sabotage linked to a historic train robbery and rumored treasure. It explores themes of teamwork, friendship, and perseverance while maintaining an age-appropriate tension suitable for 9-12 year olds and early teens. Parents should note the presence of mild peril and some tense moments but no graphic content.
Why we rated Kicker 9LE
Kicker is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 143 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Kicker works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Kicker as 9LE ("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, Kicker explores sports & recreation, friendship, adventure, mystery, and teamwork — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about sports & recreation, friendship, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781551437064
- Pages
- 143
- Publisher
- Orca Book Publishers
- Published
- March 2007
- Type
- Fiction