Missing (Shadow House, Book 4)
Dan Poblocki
Missing (Shadow House, Book 4)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Dan Poblocki
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
There’s a secret in Shadow House that no one else knows: five kids are trapped inside, each drawn there by a different mystery. They don’t know each other, and the doors won’t open. But something else is watching them—something that might be friend or foe, and that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade horror novel follows five children who find themselves trapped in a haunted house, each with their own backstory. The story explores themes of fear, trust, and survival in a spooky, paranormal setting suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware that the book contains mild horror elements and suspense typical of the genre.
Why we rated Missing (Shadow House, Book 4) 9ME
Missing (Shadow House, Book 4) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 180 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Missing (Shadow House, Book 4) works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Missing (Shadow House, Book 4) as 9ME ("Moderate — 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, thematic difficulty — 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, Missing (Shadow House, Book 4) explores horror, paranormal, friendship, survival, and mystery — 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 horror, paranormal, friendship.
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
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal 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
2/10A 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
- 9781338245790
- Pages
- 180
- Publisher
- Scholastic Inc.
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction