Frightening scenes2/5
Why this rating?
A few scenes involve minor suspense regarding exploring abandoned places, but nothing intended to be frightening.
book
Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake #1)
Is Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake #1) appropriate for your child? See the reviewed age guidance, content cautions, positive themes, and supporting evidence below.
Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake #1) by Elizabeth Enright; Beth Krush; Joe Krush; Colleen Delany (narrator). This book is recommended for ages 8+; content notes include Frightening scenes; positive qualities include Creativity & curiosity, Good role models.
Ages 8+Source checked
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10-second decision
Is this likely to fit your family?
Age guidanceAges 8+
Strongest cautionsFrightening scenes 2/5
Strongest positivesCreativity & curiosity 4/5 · Good role models 4/5
Recommendation4/5
Creativity & curiosity; strongest caution: frightening scenes.
This is the quick scan. Open the evidence and methodology below for the basis behind each rating.
Quick context
What parents should know
Best suited to middle-grade readers; the language and plot are accessible, with mild suspense around abandoned places but no significant violence or sexual content. This is guidance, not a safety guarantee; reading level and family context may differ. Creativity & curiosity; strongest caution: frightening scenes.
Readiness snapshotAge guidance: 8+Main watch-out: Frightening scenes 2/5
Recommendation 4/5Show Wikipedia summary
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Quick view
At a glance
Recommended age8+
Strongest cautions
- Frightening scenes2/5
Strongest positives
- Creativity & curiosity4/5
- Good role models4/5
- Kindness & empathy4/5
Similar, with lighter cautions
Want something gentler?
These reviewed titles have overlapping age guidance and a lower total caution score than Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake #1). Open each review for the details.
What’s in it?
Checked and not flagged
No concern recorded in these categories
These categories were explicitly scored 0/5 in the published review. This is not a guarantee that every edition or reader experience is identical.
Death of a character · 0/5
What’s good in it?
Family discussion
Talk about it
Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.
- What was the most imaginative idea in the story, and what would you add to it?
- Which moment felt most tense or frightening? What helped the characters handle fear?
- Which choice in Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake #1) would you have made differently, and why?
- Who changed the most in Gone-Away Lake (Gone-Away Lake #1), and what caused that change?
Community perspective — separate from editorial ratings
What families noticed
Community ratings and written reactions are a separate layer. They do not automatically change Dickens & Rumi’s official age guidance or content scores.
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These content notes are a starting point, not a guarantee. Review the evidence and use your own judgment before choosing a title.
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