On the Game (Sidestreets)

On the Game (Sidestreets) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 168 pages (approximately 33,109 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.2 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, On the Game (Sidestreets) works for readers up to grade 6.2.

Read aloud, On the Game (Sidestreets) runs about 3.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate On the Game (Sidestreets) as 9IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Sexual Abuse, Fear & Anxiety, Poverty & Hardship.

Thematically, On the Game (Sidestreets) explores social issues - sexual abuse, coming of age, family, and social justice — 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.