Pull
Kevin Waltman
Pull
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kevin Waltman
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
The squeak of sneakers echoes off the gym walls, sweat drips, and the ball thuds hard against the polished floor. Derrick Bowen, known as D-Bow, feels the weight of the season on his shoulders as his team struggles to find rhythm. But when a sudden injury sidelines him, can he still be the leader his team needs?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Pull, by Kevin Waltman, is a middle-grade novel centered around Derrick Bowen, a talented high school basketball player facing challenges both on and off the court. The story explores themes of teamwork, leadership, and resilience, suitable for ages 9-12. It includes realistic sports scenarios and mild disciplinary issues but contains no graphic content.
Why we rated Pull 12LE
Pull is written at a Level 7 reading level across 300 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Pull works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Pull 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, Pull explores sports, friendship, family, coming of age, and african american experience — 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 sports, friendship, 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
- 9781941026274
- Pages
- 300
- Publisher
- Cinco Puntos Press
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction