The Philly fake
David A. Kelly
The Philly fake
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
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.
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About This Book
What if the beloved Phillie Phanatic was the reason the Phillies kept losing? It’s the Fourth of July in Philadelphia, and Mike and Kate are ready for hot dogs, history, and baseball — but the game takes a mysterious turn. Can they solve the mystery before the final out?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in Philadelphia during the Fourth of July, this early chapter book combines baseball excitement with a light mystery suitable for ages 9 to 12. Mike and Kate work to clear the Phillie Phanatic's name amid a losing streak, offering young readers an engaging story with educational 'Dugout Notes' about the ballpark. The content is age-appropriate, with no intense themes, making it a fun and accessible read for middle-grade mystery and sports fans.
Why we rated The Philly fake 9C
The Philly fake is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 105 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Philly fake works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Philly fake 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 Philly fake explores cousins, friendship, baseball, mystery, and sports — 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, friendship, baseball.
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
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780307977854
- Pages
- 105
- Publisher
- Random House Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction