Slider
Pete Hautman
Slider
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Pete Hautman
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
David can eat a whole sixteen-inch pepperoni pizza in just four minutes and thirty-six seconds — and he’s not done yet! He’s training to win the Super Pigorino Bowl, the biggest pizza-eating contest ever, because he needs the prize money fast. But with his little brother needing extra care and his best friends acting strange, winning won’t be as easy as it sounds.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Slider is a humorous and heartfelt middle-grade novel centered on David, a young competitive eater aiming to win a major pizza-eating contest to pay off an accidental debt. The story also explores family dynamics, particularly David’s relationship with his younger brother Mal, who shows signs of autism. Suitable for early readers ages 5-8, this book combines themes of competition, family, and friendship with sensitivity and warmth.
Why we rated Slider 7LE
Slider is written at a Level 2 reading level across 31 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Slider works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate Slider as 7LE ("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, Slider explores competitive eating, brothers, contests, autism, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about competitive eating, brothers, contests.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781536685527
- Pages
- 31
- Publisher
- Candlewick on Brilliance Audio
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction