All of the titles published by Virtual Tales are assigned ratings based on the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) guidelines. We strive to publish titles that are G, PG and PG-13, but we also offer a few titles that are rated R. Here is a summary of what each of these ratings means:

• G: General Audiences—A G-rated title contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children read or listen to the title. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” story. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated work of fiction from Virtual Tales. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present.
  
  
• PG: Parental Guidance Suggested—A PG-rated title should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children read or listen to the title. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision. The more mature themes (such as death) in some PG-rated works may call for parental guidance. There may be some mild profanity and some depictions of violence or brief nudity of a non-sexual nature. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated motion picture.
  
  
• PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned—A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under the age of 13 should read or listen to a particular work, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 title may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture:
  
  
• Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating.
  
  
• More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated work will not be sexually oriented.
  
  
• There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 work, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence.
  
  
• The single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived swear words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.
  
  
• R: Restricted—An R-rated work, in the view of the Rating Board, contains adult material. An R-rated story may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian, so we do not recommend that children under 17 be allowed to read these titles. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated works to determine their suitability for their children. Generally, such titles are not appropriate for young children at all.