Sports great Emmitt Smith

Name: Sports great Emmitt Smith
Author: John F. Grabowski
ISBN: 0766010023

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by John F. Grabowski

Sports Great

Reading Level 5-6 C · Gentle Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Discover the inspiring journey of Emmitt Smith, a football legend who powered the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories. Known for his incredible speed and strength, Emmitt became the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXVIII through his unforgettable performances on the field. Young readers will enjoy learning about the dedication and teamwork behind his success.

Themes

SportsBiographyAchievementTeamwork

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Sports great Emmitt Smith C (Gentle)

Sports great Emmitt Smith is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 64 pages (approximately 9,329 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 7 and up can manage Sports great Emmitt Smith on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Sports great Emmitt Smith runs about 1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Sports great Emmitt Smith as C (Gentle) 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 Emmitt Smith explores sports, biography, achievement, and teamwork — 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, achievement.
✓ 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 looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?