What reading level is Sports great Darryl Strawberry?

Sports great Darryl Strawberry by John Albert Torres is at a Level 6-7 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Sports great Darryl Strawberry appropriate for?

Sports great Darryl Strawberry is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 11C (Clear).

What genre is Sports great Darryl Strawberry?

Sports great Darryl Strawberry is nonfiction. Part of the Sports Great series.

Does Sports great Darryl Strawberry have any content warnings?

Sports great Darryl Strawberry has a HootRating of 11C (Clear). 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 Sports great Darryl Strawberry?

Sports great Darryl Strawberry by John Albert Torres is 64 pages (approximately 9,536 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

Sports great Darryl Strawberry

John Albert Torres

Sports great Darryl Strawberry

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by John Albert Torres

Sports Great

Reading Level 6-7 11C Ages 9-12 Sweet Spot Page-Turner

The text is written at a 6th 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

Discover the inspiring journey of Darryl Strawberry, a talented baseball player who rose to fame as the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year. This story highlights his dedication, challenges, and triumphs on and off the field. Perfect for young readers interested in sports and perseverance.

Themes

SportsBiographyAfrican American RepresentationComing of Age

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 6-7 book with gentle content intensity. It's a Sweet Spot read — challenging text with gentle themes, ideal for advanced or 2e readers. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Sports great Darryl Strawberry 11C

Sports great Darryl Strawberry is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 64 pages (approximately 9,536 words). Strong independent readers around grade 7.3 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Sports great Darryl Strawberry works for readers up to grade 8.3.

Read aloud, Sports great Darryl Strawberry runs about 1.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Sports great Darryl Strawberry as 11C ("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, Sports great Darryl Strawberry explores sports, biography, african american representation, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about sports, biography, african american representation.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 63 more books in the Sports Great series.
✓ Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

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.