Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28)

Name: Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28)
Author: Tom B. Stone
ISBN: 0553485520

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tom B. Stone

Graveyard School

Reading Level 4-5 LP · Mild · Physical Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

Ari Spinner loves spiders more than anything, finding comfort in their silky webs and eight-legged company. But when her friendship with these creepy crawlies leads to unexpected and spooky events, she must face what it truly means to stick by a friend. Will Ari's bravery be enough to handle the chilling surprises lurking nearby?

Themes

FriendshipHorror & Ghost StoriesAdventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, fantasy violence. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28) LP (Mild)

Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28) is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages (approximately 16,921 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28) on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28) runs about 1.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28) as LP (Mild, mostly physical) 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.

Thematically, Spider Beside Her (Graveyard School #28) explores friendship, horror & 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 friendship, horror & ghost stories, adventure.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 26 more books in the Graveyard School series.

Maybe not for

! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LP · Mild · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Mild ←

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.