Aha, got it.
We have a couple of reading books that cross the above lines, but we're a different country and they are not in tests.
Wild Weather for example, Birthdays and Birthday Celebrations. Celebrities, although these are sportspeople, authors and illustrators (Tiger Woods is in
Training to be an Athlete. It says nothing about his extensive work on nocturnal emissions
)
The Quest where the old lady has collapsed and the boys have to go looking for a working phone, only to find that they are all vandalised. They return to see the ambulance there, the neighbour called from the old lady's landline as soon as the boys had left.
Witchcraft and sorcery are common themes. The Reception children (4-5) are introduced to Winnie the Witch. They love the story of her at he seaside, and how she turned her cat different colours so she could see him. Maths capacity homework set this term in Class 2 (6-7)included potion making spells. Numbershark includes a game where dragons breathe fire on a don and you see him crisp up if he answer is wrong - albeit in a very crude pixel animation. There is a lot of death in Numbershark actually, although it's mostly things like fish being gobbled up.
I have vetoed a book in which a burglar enters the house at night and is only scared off by the dog. I had three parents report anxious children after reading it. The other TAs were of the opinion that the Marys should rub some dirt in it, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. One the the parents was Tiger-Mum and she is not a moaner, trust me.
I get what you mean about not starting a child at a disadvantage though.
Of course I do, it's my job to assist Tiger and Marcus for that very reason.