Touchdown pass
Clair Bee
Touchdown pass
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Clair Bee
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
What if the best football player in school found a secret that could change everything? Imagine Chip Hilton not just scoring touchdowns, but also uncovering a sneaky sabotage at the local pottery. Can he save the day both on and off the field?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade sports fiction follows Chip Hilton, a high school football star, as he learns valuable lessons about teamwork, integrity, and reaching out to others. While the story centers on football, it also involves a mystery about sabotage at a local pottery, making it engaging without intense content. Suitable for ages 9-12, it promotes sportsmanship and personal growth.
Why we rated Touchdown pass 9LE
Touchdown pass is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 198 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Touchdown pass works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Touchdown pass 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 pass explores sportsmanship, friendship, adventure, coming of age, 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 sportsmanship, friendship, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
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
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0805416862
- Pages
- 198
- Publisher
- B&H Publishing Group
- Published
- 1998
- Type
- Fiction