Poster for More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2010) Parents Guide: Is the book OK for kids?

Name: More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Rating: 3.6 (9 reviews)
Author: Alvin Schwartz

Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language

More traditional and modern-day stories of ghosts, witches, vampires, "jump" stories, and scary songs.

Middle Grade • 2010 • 111 pages • Lexile 760L (roughly grades 4–5 reading difficulty)

by Alvin Schwartz

3.6

Average rating by Bontent members

Age

10+

This classic short story collection is a staple of folkloric horror, recommended for middle-grade readers due to its focus on atmospheric dread and macabre imagery rather than graphic gore. While the stories themselves are typically brief and folkish, the original illustrations by Stephen Gammell are notoriously unsettling and earn the book a higher intensity rating for sensitive children. Parents should note themes of death… Sign up for the full guide

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Is More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appropriate for kids?

Content severity in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Sex None 0/10

Violence Strong 6/10

Language Mild 1/10

Substances Mild 2/10

Themes Strong 5/10

What happens in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, moment by moment

p. 12 ⚔ Violence & Gore 3/10
p. 22 💬 Language 1/10
p. 35 🍷 Substances 2/10

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Sex and nudity in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

There are no romantic or sexual situations in this collection, as the focus remains entirely on folk-based horror and the supernatural. The stories are traditional oral tales intended for a general audience and contain no nudity, flirtation, or mature physical relationships between characters. This volume maintains a strictly atmospheric and spooky tone appropriate for middle-grade readers who are looking for thrills rather than romance. Even in stories involving marriages or families, like 'The Drum' or 'The Girl…

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Violence and gore in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Moderate for the middle-grade age group, focusing on creepy imagery rather than realistic gore. Stories frequently feature 'scary' tropes like reanimated corpses, disembodied limbs, and characters being eaten or disappearing into the dark, such as the boy in 'The Big Toe.' While deaths occur, descriptions are stylized as ghost stories rather than graphic medical reality, though 'Harold' implies a gruesome end for a farmer. The original illustrations significantly enhance the visceral impact of the violence…

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Language in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Language is very low throughout the entire volume. The book uses standard folkloric prose with very rare mild exclamations like 'Lord' or 'Oh god' used exclusively in moments of extreme distress or shock. There are no modern profanities, vulgarities, or slurs present in the text. Most of the dialogue is formal or rural in dialect, fitting the historical origins of the tales. The most intense language comes from the rhymes and chants, such as in 'Me Tie Dough-ty Walker,' which are intended to sound eerie rather…

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Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Substance use is very light and purely incidental to the historical or rural settings of the folklore. There is a brief mention of a character being inebriated in 'One Sunday Morning,' and other characters might have wine or cider at dinner in a historical context, but there is no focus on usage or intoxication as a theme. In 'The Little Black Dog,' a man is described as having had a few drinks before seeing a spectral animal. These moments are never glamorized and serve only to establish the realism of the…

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Mature themes in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Heavy themes of fear, mortality, and the supernatural. The framing of the stories often involves characters being punished for curiosity or encountering unavoidable spectral entities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appropriate for kids?

Bontent's parent guide suggests More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is best for ages 10+. This classic short story collection is a staple of folkloric horror, recommended for middle-grade readers due to its focus on atmospheric dread and macabre imagery rather than graphic gore. While the stories themselves…

What age rating does More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark have?

Books don't carry official age ratings. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is published for a Middle Grade audience, and Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 10+.

What reading level is More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is 111 pages and its reading level is Lexile 760L (roughly grades 4–5 reading difficulty). Bontent recommends it for ages 10+.

What is More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark about?

Is there sex or nudity in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?

How violent is More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?

Is the language in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appropriate for kids?

Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking depicted in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?

What mature themes appear in More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?

Heavy themes of fear, mortality, and the supernatural. The framing of the stories often involves characters being punished for curiosity or encountering unavoidable spectral entities.

Where can I read the full More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark parent guide?

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