The option play
Bob Darden
The option play
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Bob Darden
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
What would you do if every choice on the football field could change your whole high school experience? Imagine stepping into the shoes of Matt Brand, where every decision about sports, friends, and fairness leads to new challenges. Can you navigate the tricky plays and find your own winning path?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This interactive middle-grade novel invites readers to guide Matt Brand through the complexities of high school sports and life, facing issues like competition, peer pressure, and ethical choices. Suitable for ages 9-12, it incorporates Christian values without heavy-handedness and encourages thoughtful decision-making. Parents should note the book touches on topics such as steroids and popularity but handles them in a way appropriate for this age group.
Why we rated The option play 9LE
The option play is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 119 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The option play works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The option play 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, The option play explores sports, friendship, coming of age, christian life, and adventure — 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 sports, friendship, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
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
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
- 1559450509
- Pages
- 119
- Publisher
- Group Publishing (Company)
- Published
- 1990
- Type
- Fiction