Tour de France
James Becket
Tour de France
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by James Becket
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 crowd roars as the cyclists speed by, but something's wrong—someone is trying to ruin the biggest race of the year! You grab your notepad, ready to catch the sneaky saboteur, but just then, a mysterious shadow appears behind the finish line...
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade mystery places readers in the role of a young news anchor covering the famous Tour de France bicycle race. As the story unfolds, children engage with a suspenseful plot involving sabotage, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it contains mild tension suitable for this age group.
Why we rated Tour de France 9LP
Tour de France is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 120 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tour de France works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Tour de France as 9LP ("Light — Physical") 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, Tour de France explores mystery, adventure, sports, and friendship — 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 mystery, adventure, sports.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9LP — Light — PhysicalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780553294439
- Pages
- 120
- Publisher
- Starfire
- Published
- 1992
- Type
- Fiction