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The mystery at the ball park

Cooper, John R.

Cover of The mystery at the ball park

The mystery at the ball park

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

The Mystery at the Ball Park

by Cooper, John R.

Reading Level 6 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

There's a secret swirling around the ballpark that nobody quite understands. Mel Martin and his team are determined to win the Big Six championship, even as strange things start to happen. But that's only the beginning.

Themes

BaseballMysteryFriendshipTeamwork

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction follows Mel Martin and his teammates as they face a mysterious situation at their baseball park while aiming to win a championship. Suitable for ages 9 to 12, it blends sports excitement with a light mystery, encouraging problem-solving and teamwork without intense content.

Why we rated The mystery at the ball park 11LE

The mystery at the ball park is written at a Level 6 reading level across 201 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The mystery at the ball park works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate The mystery at the ball park 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 mystery at the ball park explores baseball, mystery, friendship, and teamwork — 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 baseball, mystery, friendship.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

201 pages
ISBN
9780671445454
Pages
201
Publisher
Aladdin Paperbacks
Published
1982
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

BaseballMystery and Detective StoriesBaseball Stories