Age rating and parents' guide:Heat
by Mike Lupica
Ages 9–14
Heat by Mike Lupica is best for children aged 9–14. It has no violence, a few mildly scary moments, no romance and no bad language. Worth knowing: Orphan hardship.
Twelve-year-old pitcher Michael Arroyo fights to prove his age and keep his Bronx baseball team’s championship hopes alive.
Content ratings
How much of each a parent can expect, from none to strong.
- Violence
- None
- Scary moments
- Mild
- Romance
- None
- Bad language
- None
Worth knowing: Orphan hardship
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken, on .
At a glance
- Novel
- A steady start that picks up quickly
- Mostly text
- Emotionally light
- A good pick for reluctant readers
Great for kids who like
- Sports
Reading mood
- Playful
Good to talk about
- Sports
Books like Heat
Similar stories for the same ages, none more intense than this one should be for its youngest readers.
Ages 9–14
Football Genius
by Tim Green
A young football prodigy uncovers a conspiracy involving the Atlanta Falcons and risks everything to expose it.
Ages 9–14
Travel Team
by Mike Lupica
Cut from an elite team, Danny forms an underdog basketball squad coached by his distant former-professional father.
Ages 9–14
Wonderstruck
by Brian Selznick
Two children, separated by fifty years, follow parallel quests that converge at New York’s Museum of Natural History.
On these book lists
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