What reading level is Short & Shivery?

Short & Shivery by Robert D. San Souci is at a Level 6-7 reading level. Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Short & Shivery appropriate for?

Short & Shivery is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 11LE (Light — Emotional). Content flags: Mild Peril, Fantasy Violence, Fear & Anxiety.

What genre is Short & Shivery?

Short & Shivery is fiction — Juvenile Fiction. Part of the NO OFFICIAL SERIES TITLE series.

Does Short & Shivery have any content warnings?

Short & Shivery has a HootRating of 11LE (Light — Emotional). Content flags include: Mild Peril, Fantasy Violence, Fear & Anxiety. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Short & Shivery?

Short & Shivery by Robert D. San Souci is 192 pages (approximately 40,272 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

Short & Shivery

Robert D. San Souci

Short & Shivery

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Scary Short Stories for Kids

by Robert D. San Souci

Illustrated by Katherine Coville

NO OFFICIAL SERIES TITLE

Reading Level 6-7 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Dive into a collection of eerie tales that will send shivers down your spine! From haunted forests to mysterious shadows, these thirty spooky stories from around the world bring ghosts, monsters, and mysterious happenings right to your fingertips. Perfect for brave readers looking to enjoy a thrilling scare just in time for Halloween.

Themes

HalloweenFolkloreGhost StoriesAdventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 6-7 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, fantasy violence, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Short & Shivery 11LE

Short & Shivery is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 192 pages (approximately 40,272 words). Strong independent readers around grade 7.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Short & Shivery works for readers up to grade 8.5.

Read aloud, Short & Shivery runs about 4.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Short & Shivery as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

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

Thematically, Short & Shivery explores halloween, folklore, ghost stories, 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 halloween, folklore, ghost stories.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 41 more books in the NO OFFICIAL SERIES TITLE series.

Maybe not for

! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.