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Night of the living dummy II

Robert Lawrence Stine

Cover of Night of the living dummy II

Night of the living dummy II

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robert Lawrence Stine

Goosebumps

Reading Level 3-4 8ME Ages 9-12 Heads Up Page-Turner

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.

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About This Book

Amy receives a new ventriloquist dummy named Slappy, but soon strange and unsettling events begin to unfold around her. As the mysterious happenings grow more frightening, Amy must face the eerie secrets tied to her new toy.

Quick Assessment

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

Why we rated Night of the living dummy II 8ME

Night of the living dummy II is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 120 pages (approximately 20,801 words). Strong independent readers around grade 4.1 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Night of the living dummy II works for readers up to grade 5.1.

Read aloud, Night of the living dummy II runs about 2.3 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Night of the living dummy II as 8ME ("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, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

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

Thematically, Night of the living dummy II explores fantasy world-building, adventure, 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.
  • Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
  • Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, mystery.
  • Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 79 more books in the Goosebumps series.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
  • ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.

For Parents

Content Intensity

8ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Moderate
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

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

Content Flags

Fear & Anxiety Mild Peril Fantasy Violence
Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

7/10

High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
3
Emotional Weight
6
Narrative Pace
5
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
8

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Details

Book Length

120 pages
20,801 words
2h 19m read-aloud
ISBN
0590483498
Pages
120
Publisher
Apple
Published
1995
Type
Fiction
Word Count
20,801
Read-Aloud
~2h 19m
Text Density
Standard

Genres

Subjects

PuppetsHorror StoriesVentriloquistsHorror TalesVentriloquismVentriloquists' DummiesGhost StoriesSupernaturalHorror FictionSoundsSoundExperimentsMusicAcoustics and PhysicsMusical InstrumentsBruits NaturelsSonExpériencesMusiqueAcoustique Et PhysiqueInstruments De Musique