The curse of Camp Cold Lake

Name: The curse of Camp Cold Lake
Author: Robert Lawrence Stine
ISBN: 0590568930

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Robert Lawrence Stine

Goosebumps

Reading Level 2-3 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 2nd 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, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Sarah discovers that her new water sports partner at camp is a ghost named Della, who wishes to be her friend forever. As their friendship deepens, Sarah faces eerie and spooky moments that make Camp Cold Lake unforgettable. Can she find a way to escape the ghostly bond before it’s too late?

Themes

HorrorFriendship Adventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 2-3 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, fantasy violence, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated The curse of Camp Cold Lake LE (Mild)

The curse of Camp Cold Lake is written at a Level 2-3 reading level across 114 pages (approximately 18,420 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage The curse of Camp Cold Lake on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, The curse of Camp Cold Lake runs about 2.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The curse of Camp Cold Lake as LE (Mild, mostly 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, The curse of Camp Cold Lake explores horror, friendship, 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, friendship, adventure.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 78 more books in the Goosebumps series.

Maybe not for

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

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

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.