The Staircase — Content Guide for Parents

Found in this book
- ViolenceSupporting
- Scary contentBrief
- ReligionCentralChristian
- Race & cultureBrief
Not found
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender roles
- Gender & orientation
Couldn't confirm
- Profanity
- Profanity: The sources describe the plot but do not say whether the book's own text has swear words.
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
Working from the legend of the "miraculous" staircase in the Chapel of Loretto in Santa Fe, Ann Rinaldi skillfully blends the mystery surrounding the builder of the staircase with the daily trials of a young girl growing up in the 1870s.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Staircase appropriate for a 7-year-old?
A roommate blinds Lizzy's kitten with an embroidery needle, and Lizzy hits a man over the head with a statue when he breaks in at night. A few tense or upsetting moments appear, including the cruel injury to the kitten and a man coming through a window at night.
Does The Staircase have violence?
Found (Supporting): A roommate blinds Lizzy's kitten with an embroidery needle, and Lizzy hits a man over the head with a statue when he breaks in at night.
Does The Staircase have scary content?
Found (Brief): A few tense or upsetting moments appear, including the cruel injury to the kitten and a man coming through a window at night.
Does The Staircase have religion?
Found (Central, Christian): A Methodist girl at a Catholic convent school watches the nuns and students pray to Saint Joseph for a staircase, and the story is built around faith and a possible miracle.
Does The Staircase have race & culture?
Found (Brief): A blog reviewer points to a line about a character's Native ancestry and to Spanish-speaking characters written in stereotyped ways.
Does The Staircase have profanity?
Couldn't confirm: The sources describe the plot but do not say whether the book's own text has swear words.
Does The Staircase have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Staircase have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Staircase have gender roles?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Staircase have gender & orientation?
Not found in the sources we checked.



