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The science of a flip turn

Tamra Orr

Cover of The science of a flip turn

The science of a flip turn

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tamra Orr

21st Century Skills Library: Full-Speed Sports

Reading Level 5-6 10C Ages 9-12 Balanced Read Page-Turner

The text is written at a 5th 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

Dive into the fascinating world beneath the surface as this story explores the secrets behind perfecting a flip turn in swimming. Discover how athletes use science and skill to glide through the water, while learning about the history and safety improvements that make the sport exciting and secure. Engaging trivia and thought-provoking questions invite young readers to think like scientists and athletes alike.

Themes

SportsScience & NatureSwimmingEducation

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated The science of a flip turn 10C

The science of a flip turn is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 32 pages (approximately 2,015 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The science of a flip turn works for readers up to grade 7.6.

Read aloud, The science of a flip turn takes about 13 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate The science of a flip turn as 10C ("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 science of a flip turn explores sports, science & nature, swimming, and education — 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.
  • Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
  • Kids drawn to stories about sports, science & nature, swimming.
  • Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the 21st Century Skills Library: Full-Speed Sports series.
  • Curious kids who prefer real-world topics over made-up stories.

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

10C — Clear
Emotional
Clear
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

8/10

High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
2
Narrative Pace
9
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
8

More in the 21st Century Skills Library: Full-Speed Sports Series

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Details

Book Length

32 pages
2,015 words
13m read-aloud
ISBN
9781633625839
Pages
32
Publisher
Cherry Lake Publishing
Published
2016
Type
Nonfiction
Word Count
2,015
Read-Aloud
~13 min
Text Density
Light Text

Genres

Subjects

SwimmingStarts and TurnsSports Sciences