Dracula by Bram Stoker adapted by Stephanie Spinner
Reviewed by BridgetRatings
Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content
LANGUAGE
VIOLENCE
SEXUAL CONTENT
ADULT THEMES
Rating Explanation
Violence: Johnathan is held hostage at Castle Dracula in Transylvania. Three female vampires attempt to attack Johnathan. Johnathan escapes by climbing down from the tallest tower at Castle Dracula and is injured. Dracula bites Lucy three times and turns her into a vampire. Dracula, in the form of a wolf scares Lucy’s mother, Mrs. Westenra, literally to death. Lucy bites a little boy’s neck. Silver stakes are then used to stab Lucy, the three female vampires and Dracula to death.
Adult Themes: There are a few vampire attacks, people turn into vampires after three attacks and a mother dies of fright.
Synopsis
Johnathan, a young lawyer from London is sent by his employer to Transylvania to deliver ownership papers to Dracula for a property purchased by Dracula in London. Johnathan is then held hostage by Dracula at the castle. Johnathan faces three female vampires who come to harm him. He is rescued by Dracula. Dracula is saving Johnathan for himself. Miraculously, Johnathan escapes and returns to London to find that Dracula and the other vampires have taken a ship to England. The vampires begin to attack the locals. Dracula turns into a wolf and scares Lucy’s mother, Mrs. Westenra and she dies of fright. He then turns Lucy into a vampire and attempts to turn Mina into a vampire as well. Lucy attacks a little boy. She drinks his blood. Van Helsing, Johnathan and Dr. Seward try to save Mina, who has been attacked by Dracula. They save her and plunge a silver stake through the hearts of all the vampires while they are sleeping in their coffins.
This book is rather detailed in vampire attacks and chilling for a fourth grade reader. After reading this book aloud with my ordinarily brave fourth grader; he has been sleeping on the floor in my room for the past three nights. This is a scary story, not appropriate for every fourth and fifth grader.
©2009 The Literate Mother