Burning Baby and Other Ghosts
John Gordon
Burning Baby and Other Ghosts
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by John Gordon
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Night falls and the bonfire crackles, but suddenly, a teenage girl vanishes into the shadows. Two friends skate across a frozen pond when something chilling breaks the ice beneath them. Elsewhere, an old woman’s secret darkens the night—but what happens next will haunt you forever.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Burning Baby and Other Ghosts is a collection of five supernatural stories aimed at readers aged 9 to 12. Each tale explores ghostly revenge and eerie mysteries, featuring suspenseful but age-appropriate thrills. Parents should note the presence of spooky themes and mild peril typical of ghost stories for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated Burning Baby and Other Ghosts 9MP
Burning Baby and Other Ghosts is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 110 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Burning Baby and Other Ghosts works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Burning Baby and Other Ghosts as 9MP ("Moderate — Physical") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Burning Baby and Other Ghosts explores ghost stories, supernatural, suspense, and children's fiction — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about ghost stories, supernatural, suspense.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9MP — Moderate — PhysicalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780744572407
- Pages
- 110
- Publisher
- Walker Books, Limited
- Published
- 2006
- Type
- Fiction