Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics)
Matthew F Christopher
Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Matthew F Christopher
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
Tommy races down the field, the crowd roaring in his ears and the football tucked tight under his arm. Every tackle, every touchdown feels like a step closer to something he's dreamed of—a real home. But will winning the game be enough to change everything for Tommy?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade sports fiction follows Tommy, a recently orphaned boy who hopes playing football for his foster father's team will help him find a permanent family. The story addresses themes of foster care, belonging, and the importance of perseverance. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers positive messages about resilience without graphic content.
Why we rated Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics) 9LE
Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 145 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics) works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics) 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, Touchdown for Tommy (Matt Christopher Sports Classics) explores sports & recreation, friendship, family, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about sports & recreation, friendship, family.
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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780316139823
- Pages
- 145
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Published
- October 30, 1985
- Type
- Fiction