The Marvellers — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceSupporting
- Scary contentSupporting
- ReligionBriefOther or made-up faith
- Race & cultureSupporting
- Gender & orientationBrief
Not found
- Profanity
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender roles
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
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Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
"The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world." —Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling–author
An instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller!
"A marvelous gift of a novel! Clayton has created a world that readers won't want to leave.” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Hate U Give
Dhonielle Clayton makes her middle-grade debut with a fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky.
Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts, like brewing Indian spice elixirs and bartering with pesky Irish pixies.
Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy—some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem “bad and unnatural.” But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.
When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror’s aid, tensions grow in the Marvellian world and Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her mentor before it’s too late.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Marvellers appropriate for a 7-year-old?
A character recalls a murder of a circus rival, with bones snapping and a lot of blood, and Ella faces bullying, a trashed room and anonymous hateful messages. The story includes an escaped criminal, a missing mentor, a recalled murder with blood, and gruesome descriptions that one reader skipped when reading aloud to young kids.
Does The Marvellers have violence?
Found (Supporting): A character recalls a murder of a circus rival, with bones snapping and a lot of blood, and Ella faces bullying, a trashed room and anonymous hateful messages.
Does The Marvellers have scary content?
Found (Supporting): The story includes an escaped criminal, a missing mentor, a recalled murder with blood, and gruesome descriptions that one reader skipped when reading aloud to young kids.
Does The Marvellers have religion?
Found (Brief, Other or made-up faith): A parents' guide says characters have various religious affiliations, and Ella's home has a family altar with candles and ancestor portraits as part of the made-up conjure tradition.
Does The Marvellers have race & culture?
Found (Supporting): Ella, a Black girl, faces prejudice from classmates who call her kind of magic bad and unnatural, and a review says this parallels real-world discrimination.
Does The Marvellers have profanity?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Marvellers have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Marvellers have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Marvellers have gender roles?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Marvellers have gender & orientation?
Found (Brief): A parents' guide says the cast includes characters of various gender identities and sexual orientations, in brief references.
