The Capital Catch
David A. Kelly
The Capital Catch
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Ballpark Mysteries 13
by David A. Kelly
Illustrated by Meyers, Mark, illustrator
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.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Here's a secret: someone is sneaking around stealing the president’s brother’s baseball gear right in Washington D.C.! Mike and Kate have the clues, but can they catch the sneaky thief before the big game? This mystery is bigger than any play they've faced before, but that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel combines baseball excitement with a light mystery that centers around Mike and Kate, two cousins solving a puzzle involving the president's brother on the Nationals team. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers engaging sports action alongside problem-solving and teamwork themes, with no content concerns. The book also includes extra baseball facts to enrich young readers’ knowledge.
Why we rated The Capital Catch 9C
The Capital Catch is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 104 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Capital Catch works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Capital Catch 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, The Capital Catch explores cousins, juvenile fiction, baseball stories, friendship, and mystery — 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 cousins, juvenile fiction, baseball 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.
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
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
The Cardinals caper
David A. Kelly
The Cardinals caper
David A. Kelly
Christmas in Cooperstown
David A. Kelly
Christmas in Cooperstown
David A. Kelly
World Series Kids
David A. Kelly
World Series Kids
David A. Kelly
The missing baseball
Mike Lupica
The missing baseball
Mike Lupica
The Baseball Thief
Brian McFarlane
The Baseball Thief
Brian McFarlane
The Rangers rustlers
David A. Kelly
The Rangers rustlers
David A. Kelly
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780399551895
- Pages
- 104
- Publisher
- Random House Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction