What reading level is Soar?

Soar by Joan Bauer is at a Level 3 reading level (Lexile 510L). Recommended for Lower Grades readers (Ages 5-8).

What age is Soar appropriate for?

Soar is recommended for Ages 5-8. HootRating: 8LE (Light — Emotional).

Soar is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does Soar have any content warnings?

Soar has a HootRating of 8LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Soar?

Soar by Joan Bauer is 296 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Soar

Joan Bauer

Soar

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Joan Bauer

Reading Level 3 8LE Ages 5-8 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

The crack of the bat echoes through the air, and the smell of fresh-cut grass fills your nose. Jeremiah, with a heart full of baseball dreams, can't play the game anymore, but he finds a new way to shine by coaching. In a town where hope feels lost, his courage and love for the game might just bring the whole team back to life.

Themes

Family Friendship Coming of Age SportsHeart HealthCommunity

Quick Assessment

Soar tells the story of Jeremiah, a passionate young baseball fan who, after heart surgery, is told he can't play anymore. Instead, he channels his love for the game into coaching a struggling team in a town shaken by scandal. This early reader book is appropriate for ages 5-8 and gently explores themes of courage, resilience, and community without intense content.

Why we rated Soar 8LE

Soar is written at a Level 3 reading level with a Lexile measure of 510L across 296 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Soar works for readers up to grade 5.0.

We rate Soar as 8LE ("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, Soar explores family, friendship, coming of age, sports, and heart health — 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 family, friendship, coming of age.