The stupendous dodgeball fiasco

Name: The stupendous dodgeball fiasco
Author: Janice Repka
ISBN: 0525473467

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Janice Repka

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

A Junior Library Guild selection

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. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The sharp thud of a dodgeball echoes through the gym, the smell of sweaty sneakers filling the air. Eleven-year-old Phillip steps into a town where dodgeball isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. As he navigates new friends and surprising challenges, he discovers that fitting in can be the biggest game of all.

Themes

Sports Family Disability Representation FriendshipMoving

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows eleven-year-old Phillip as he moves to Hardington, Pennsylvania, a town obsessed with dodgeball. The story explores themes of disability, family change, and adapting to new environments, presenting relatable challenges for children ages 9 to 12. Parents should know the book sensitively portrays characters with disabilities and emphasizes friendship and personal growth.

Why we rated The stupendous dodgeball fiasco LE (Mild)

The stupendous dodgeball fiasco is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 181 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The stupendous dodgeball fiasco on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The stupendous dodgeball fiasco as LE (Mild, mostly 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 stupendous dodgeball fiasco explores sports, family, disability representation, friendship, and moving — 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, family, disability representation.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — The stupendous dodgeball fiasco carries an award.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Mild

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

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