The Great Coaster Ride
Lawrence Allen Sanders
The Great Coaster Ride
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lawrence Allen Sanders
Illustrated by Jane Lenoir
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
The rumble of wooden wheels echoes on the old track, mixing with the fresh scent of pine and the laughter of friends. Richie, Ed, and Don race against time and each other, their hearts pounding as the big coaster car race draws near. Every twist and turn is a new adventure that brings them closer together in a world changed by war.
Quick Assessment
Set in a small Arkansas town during World War II, this middle-grade novel follows a group of children as they prepare for their annual coaster car race. The story captures themes of friendship, community, and resilience amidst historical backdrop, suitable for readers aged 9-12. There is no intense content, making it an appropriate and engaging read for this age group.
Why we rated The Great Coaster Ride 9LS
The Great Coaster Ride is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 124 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Great Coaster Ride works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Great Coaster Ride as 9LS ("Light — Social") 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 Great Coaster Ride explores friendship, adventure, historical, sports, 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, adventure, historical.
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
9LS — Light — SocialNo 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781567630992
- Pages
- 124
- Publisher
- Ozark Publications
- Published
- January 1997
- Type
- Fiction