Street Kings
Brad V. Cowan
Street Kings
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Brad V. Cowan
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 gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Cale Finch has been practicing skateboarding tricks no one else dares to try. Spring break means nothing but skating with the Seven Stair Crew, but when rival crews show up and a big contest looms, things get way more intense — and that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction follows Cale Finch and his friends as they spend spring break skateboarding and navigating rivalries. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story highlights themes of friendship, competition, and perseverance, with no inappropriate content. It's a fun, relatable read for kids interested in skateboarding and adventure.
Why we rated Street Kings 9C
Street Kings is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 136 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Street Kings works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Street Kings as 9C ("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, Street Kings explores friendship, adventure, and sports — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, adventure, sports.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781459404519
- Pages
- 136
- Publisher
- James Lorimer & Company
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction