Cry of the cat

Name: Cry of the cat
Author: Robert Lawrence Stine
ISBN: 0590399888

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robert Lawrence Stine

Goosebumps Series 2000

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd 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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Allison sets out to return a mysterious black cat to its home, but the eerie, crumbling house holds secrets that make leaving far more difficult than she imagined. Shadows loom and strange sounds echo as she tries to find her way back to safety. Can Allison escape the house before it’s too late?

Themes

Horror talesCatsAdventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Cry of the cat ME (Moderate)

Cry of the cat is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 119 pages (approximately 18,766 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage Cry of the cat on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Cry of the cat runs about 2.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Cry of the cat as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Fear & Anxiety.

Thematically, Cry of the cat explores horror tales, cats, and adventure — 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about horror tales, cats, adventure.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 21 more books in the Goosebumps Series 2000 series.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.