Tales of the Peculiar – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Tales of the Peculiar

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2016

89%

WISE Score

4.7

Amazon

Grimms' Fairy Tales gets a Goth makeover with cannibals, weird powers, and a heavy dose of 'it's okay to be a freak.'

Tales of the Peculiar

book

2016

89%

WISE Score

4.7

Amazon

Grimms' Fairy Tales gets a Goth makeover with cannibals, weird powers, and a heavy dose of 'it's okay to be a freak.'

4.7

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Screenwise Verdict

Tales of the Peculiar is a rare find: a spin-off book that’s actually as good as the main series. It’s basically the 'Beetlejuice' of short story collections.

If your kid is into Gothic vibes, they’ll devour this (hopefully not literally, like the cannibals in chapter one). It’s dark, weird, and surprisingly deep about what it means to be an outsider.

Just a heads up for parents of younger kids: this isn't 'Bedtime Stories for Tiny Tots.' It’s got some bite. But for a middle-schooler looking for something that feels a bit more 'grown-up' and edgy without being inappropriate, it’s a total win.

Age Fit

Best for the 10-14 crowd. It’s for the kids who wear black hoodies in the summer and think traditional fairy tales are boring. Adults who like dark fantasy will also find it a quick, charming read.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While it champions the 'outsider' and those who don't fit in, the tone is intentionally macabre and includes stories about cannibals and morbid ends. It's emotionally resonant for the right kid, but it's definitely not 'warm and fuzzy.'

Imaginative

Ransom Riggs is the king of world-building through 'found' artifacts and weird lore. The creative powers and bizarre history of the 'Peculiars' are incredibly inventive and far from the standard superhero tropes.

Safe

It's a book, so no chat rooms or microtransactions here. However, the content warnings are real: graphic descriptions of cannibalism and dark, gothic imagery might be too intense for younger or more sensitive readers who aren't ready for 'scary' fairy tales.

Enriching

It encourages a love of folklore and meta-fiction. The stories function as allegories for disability, neurodivergence, and being 'different' in a world that demands conformity, providing great ethical meat for kids to chew on.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Incredible world-building for kids who already love the Miss Peregrine series.
Short story format is perfect for kids with shorter attention spans or those who like to read in bursts.
Actually well-written; it doesn't talk down to kids and respects their ability to handle darker themes.
Fantastic for sparking creative writing—it practically begs kids to come up with their own 'peculiar' traits.

⚠

What to Watch For

The cannibal story is genuinely graphic; if your kid is squeamish about eating people, maybe skip that chapter.
It leans hard into the 'morbid' aesthetic—think Tim Burton but on paper.
Some stories don't have a happy ending, which might be a shock for kids used to Disney-fied fables.

Conversation Starters

"If you had to choose a 'peculiar' trait that made you totally different from everyone at school, what would it be?"
"Why do you think these stories use scary things like cannibals to teach lessons?"
"Which of the characters in the book did you feel the most sorry for, and why?"
"Do you think it's better to be 'normal' and safe, or 'peculiar' and in danger?"

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