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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Supernatural threat and battle between Light and Dark forces; appropriate for middle-grade readers
Language
None
No profanity
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
The weight of destiny and the loneliness of being set apart from ordinary childhood are handled with emotional intelligence
What this book is about
The second and most celebrated Dark Is Rising novel follows Will Stanton, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is the last of the Old Ones — immortal guardians of the Light against the Dark. He must collect six signs of power before the forces of the Dark can stop him. Susan Cooper's series is a landmark of British children's fantasy — mythologically rich, genuinely atmospheric in its evocation of Arthurian legend, and appropriately dark without being inappropriate for its middle-grade audience.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Supernatural forces of evil
Child chosen as hero of cosmic battle
Reader Verification
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