The million dollar kick
Dan Gutman
The million dollar kick
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Dan Gutman
The text is written at a 6th 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
Whisper Nelson stands on the soccer field, heart pounding as the crowd holds its breath. The ball is at her feet, and a million dollars is on the line — but she’s never even liked sports. Can she make the kick and change everything in one shot?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Whisper, a girl who despises sports but unexpectedly wins the opportunity to take a million-dollar soccer kick. The story explores themes of self-confidence, facing fears, and personal growth, making it suitable for ages 9-12. There is light tension around performance anxiety, but no content concerns for parents.
Why we rated The million dollar kick 11LE
The million dollar kick is written at a Level 6 reading level across 202 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The million dollar kick works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The million dollar kick as 11LE ("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, The million dollar kick explores contests, juvenile fiction, soccer, fiction, and coming of age — 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 contests, juvenile fiction, soccer.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780786815845
- Pages
- 202
- Publisher
- Disney-Hyperion
- Published
- 2003
- Type
- Fiction