22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I remember..., April 2, 2001
okay, so maybe this isn't a very good book for four year olds to be reading (it does have decapitations after all). I seem to remember being about eight years old when I first read it, that seems mature enough. 13-15 year olds are probably (hopefully) beyond this reading level, so scratch that. I wouldn't buy it for my six year old nephew, but I wouldn't buy it for my thirteen year old cousin either.
Think about it though. Most kids who read stuff like this LIKE to be scared. I read it and it kept me up at night. And all night long I thought to myself "why on Earth did I read that." But then I'd get up the next day and read another story, or read a similar book. It's the thrill of being scared.
And this book was a nice introduction to horror. Oddly enough, the story of the beheaded girl didn't chill me, but the story TEETH did. It just really freaked me out, guys with ridiculously big teeth, now that's spooky. As for being concerned with a child talking to strangers, well this story illustrates the DANGERS of doing such. So I don't see any harm there.
Anyway, overall I'd say that this book is pretty solid for a second or third grader, but not a kindergartener. Basically it should be viewed on a case by case basis. If you think your kid can handle it, and they're a fan of this sort of thing, then by all means get it for them. And if they have a nightmare, be a parent and console them. That comes with the job.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still sticks with me, even now, September 10, 2006
I'm nineteen years old, and I still remember the day I found this book in my school library when I was six. I was enamoured, and checked it out numerous times before another student lost it. I was a bookworm as a child, having read hundreds of books in a matter of years, and this book still stands as one of the truly unforgettable books I read in my youth. I believe it is the powerful imagery of the book that has stuck with me all these years, and made it impossible for me to forget.
Granted, it is not for everyone, and some children might benefit from reading it at an older age. I remember being slightly perturbed by some of the ideas and nuances presented in the book. However, I doubt highly that it would truly disturb any child that was mature enough to approach the book thoughtfully.
An initial parental reading might be something to consider.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved this book., October 15, 2000
By A Customer
I remember when I got this book. It was near Halloween and I had to go to Burlington coat factory with my grandma. I saw this book and asked her if I could get it. She said okay. I was eight years old. I took it back to her house and read it that night. My favorite story was 'The Green Ribbon'. I took it to school with me the following Monday so that my teacher would read it to us and she got excited when she saw 'The Green Ribbon' because it was a story she was looking for that was told to her when she was a child. I love this book and I recommend it to you, but I do think that if you're a parent, you might want to see if your child can handle some of these stories. Aside from that, this is a fine bit of literature and will be cherished by many people for years to come.
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