Team Player
Jeffrey Pratt
Team Player
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jeffrey Pratt
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.
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About This Book
The sharp whistle of the referee slices through the crisp autumn air as cleats pound the turf beneath bright stadium lights. Danny’s heart races—he’s the starting quarterback, ready to lead his team to victory. But when Alice, a super-smart android with lightning-fast moves, joins the team, everything changes in a way no one expected.
Quick Assessment
Set in a near-future high school, this middle-grade novel explores themes of teamwork and acceptance through the lens of a human-android football team. It’s suitable for ages 9-12 and handles the challenges of integration and competition with a light touch, making it an engaging read without intense conflict or mature themes.
Why we rated Team Player 9LE
Team Player is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Team Player works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Team Player as 9LE ("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, Team Player explores friendship, sports, science & nature, coming of age, and multicultural — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, sports, science & nature.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781541572942
- Pages
- 112
- Publisher
- Darby Creek TM
- Published
- 2019
- Type
- Fiction