Riverside
Peter Regan
Riverside
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Croke Park Conspiracy
by Peter Regan
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Nobody expects a quiet night in People's Park to turn into a wild mystery! When two sneaky figures start sawing down the skinny GAA goal-posts, chaos erupts and Mrs. O'Leary is ready to catch the culprits with her trusty handbag. But why would anyone want to sink the goal-posts in the river? The answer might surprise you—and it changes everything.
Quick Assessment
Riverside is a humorous middle-grade fiction set in Ireland that follows a quirky community's night-time adventure involving stolen GAA goal-posts. The story combines elements of local tradition, sports enthusiasm, and lighthearted mystery suitable for children aged 9-12. It contains playful suspense without intense content, making it appropriate for young readers interested in soccer and cultural tales.
Why we rated Riverside 9C
Riverside is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Riverside works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Riverside as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Riverside explores soccer, humor, ireland, community, and mystery — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about soccer, humor, ireland.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" 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
- 9781901737042
- Pages
- 112
- Publisher
- Anvil Books
- Published
- 1997
- Type
- Fiction