The Hound of the Baskervilles
Recommended. Age: 14+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
People say a ghost dog is hunting the Baskerville family on a foggy moor. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson come to protect Sir Henry. They find out the monster is a real dog, used by a greedy man. This is the best known Sherlock Holmes mystery. It looks like a ghost story and turns out to have a human villain and a plain cause. Holmes and Watson are brave and loyal. Common Sense Media says 10 and up, and a Catholic reading list places it at 14 and up, which Lumen follows. It is clean, spooky, and an easy win for a 10th grader.
For parents
Lumen lists it as Teens and Up because the only Catholic list fetched places it at 14 and up. Common Sense Media says 10+, so on content alone a younger strong reader could manage it, and it is well within reach for 10th grade. Common Sense Media reports little direct violence, with suspense, a death from fright, a man killed by the dog, and a villain who beats his wife and deceives another woman, all without detail. Wikipedia confirms the curse has a natural cause. Ask: why did people believe in the demon hound? How does Holmes separate fear from facts? What sin drives Stapleton, and what does greed cost him? Why does Mrs. Barrymore help her brother the convict, and is she right to? Talk about how fear of curses has no hold on a Christian, and about using reason as a gift from God.