Sports great Kevin Mitchell

Name: Sports great Kevin Mitchell
Author: Glenn Dickey
ISBN: 0894903888

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Glenn Dickey

Sports Great

Reading Level 4 LP · Mild · Physical Ages 9-12 Matched Page-Turner

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 mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

Follow the journey of Kevin Mitchell from his challenging early years in San Diego to becoming a top baseball star for the Seattle Mariners. This inspiring story highlights his determination and love for the game, perfect for young readers who enjoy sports and real-life heroes.

Themes

SportsBiographyAfrican American RepresentationComing of Age Family

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Sports great Kevin Mitchell LP (Mild)

Sports great Kevin Mitchell is written at a Level 4 reading level across 64 pages (approximately 10,522 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Sports great Kevin Mitchell on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Sports great Kevin Mitchell runs about 1.2 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Sports great Kevin Mitchell as LP (Mild, mostly physical) 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril.

Thematically, Sports great Kevin Mitchell explores sports, biography, african american representation, coming of age, and family — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ 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 looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LP · Mild · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Mild ←

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.