The Whitman kick
Robert Burch
The Whitman kick
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Robert Burch
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
The sharp crack of a football echoes through the chilly autumn air as the leaves crunch beneath hurried footsteps. Memories swirl like the cool breeze—of school halls, secret smiles, and a girl who changed everything. Sometimes, the smallest moments become the ones we carry the farthest.
Quick Assessment
Set during World War II, this novel follows a seventeen-year-old boy newly enlisted in the Army as he reflects on his school days and a meaningful relationship with a special girl. Suitable for middle-grade readers, it explores themes of young love and the transition from adolescence to adulthood with gentle emotional depth. The story contains no intense content, making it appropriate for ages 9 to 12.
Why we rated The Whitman kick 9LE
The Whitman kick is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 116 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Whitman kick works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The Whitman kick 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 Whitman kick explores coming of age, family, friendship, and historical — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0525426779
- Pages
- 116
- Publisher
- Dutton Juvenile
- Published
- 1977
- Type
- Fiction