Under the baseball moon
John H. Ritter
Under the baseball moon
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by John H. Ritter
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for older middle graders (ages 11+), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Andy dreams of making it big as a trumpet player, while Glory aims to shine on the softball field. Both teenagers from Ocean Beach, California, work hard to turn their passions into reality, discovering friendship and determination along the way. Their journey shows how chasing your dreams takes courage and heart.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with gentle content intensity. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 11+.
Why we rated Under the baseball moon 9C
Under the baseball moon is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 283 pages (approximately 58,924 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.7 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Under the baseball moon works for readers up to grade 6.7.
Read aloud, Under the baseball moon runs about 6.6 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Under the baseball moon as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Under the baseball moon explores friendship, coming of age, sports, music, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 11+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, sports.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" 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
- 0399236236
- Pages
- 283
- Publisher
- Philomel Books
- Published
- 2006
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 58,924
- Read-Aloud
- ~6h 33m
- Text Density
- Standard