The empty grave

Name: The empty grave
Author: Jonathan Stroud
ISBN: 9781484778722

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Lockwood & Co.: Book Five

by Jonathan Stroud

Illustrated by Kate Adams

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched

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. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What secrets are hidden inside the spooky Fittes Mausoleum? Under the cover of night, Lockwood and his friends sneak into a place filled with traps and ghosts, searching for the truth about a legendary psychic. But with mysterious enemies closing in and the unknown waiting beyond, will they make it out unscathed?

Themes

SupernaturalGhost StoriesMystery Friendship Adventure

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade supernatural mystery follows a group of young psychic investigators on a dangerous mission to uncover secrets in a haunted mausoleum. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book contains ghostly encounters, suspenseful moments, and themes of friendship and bravery. Parents should note the presence of mild peril, supernatural elements, and some tense scenes involving spectral and human foes.

Why we rated The empty grave ME (Moderate)

The empty grave is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 437 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The empty grave on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The empty grave as ME (Moderate, mostly 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.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, The empty grave explores supernatural, ghost stories, mystery, 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about supernatural, ghost stories, mystery.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

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

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

Data confidence: high

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