What Age Group Is The Nevermoor Book Series Suitable For?

Question

Just finished book one and adored it, but is the series too dark for younger kids? Are there any mature themes I should be aware of before recommending it to a middle-grade reader?

Tamare Lynn · Answer

This series would generally be recommended for readers in the 8-12 age range but is definitely of interest to older readers as well. I’ve recently been reading a lot of school-based fantasy, with stories like ‘Zeda And The Four Princes Of Shadowbrook Academy’. This follows the story of a scholarship student at a magical academy who becomes embroiled in the complex web of relationships between the titled princes who attend the school. As a curse starts to affect the school, Zeda finds himself in the midst of it all, and his relationships with the princes drive the main plot of the story.

Isabel · Answer

This series is perfectly pitched for 8-14 year olds – my 10-year-old tore through the three books in a weekend. Like me, she loves the slightly eccentric atmosphere of the Hotel Deucalion and the ever-so-spooky Hunt of Smoke and Shadow. But Nevermoor is more than just a children’s book – it has plenty of complex plot and moral dilemmas to keep YA readers and even adults engaged too. The humor is very keen, so will appeal to the older reader, and the magic will captivate the younger ones.

While Nevermoor does deal with quite dark themes (betrayal, prejudice), they are always approached with a sense of humor and a ‘light touch’. It is possible that younger or more sensitive children (7 & under) may find some parts of Nevermoor too scary (the Hollowpox, for example, are sort of zombie-like). However, most kids over the age of 9 love the sense of danger and adrenaline that these scenes create. Children’s literature dealing with darker themes is always going to be a bit of a borderline book and Nevermoor is definitely less ‘bleak’ than A Series of Unfortunate Events and more complex than Percy Jackson.

This series is so re-readable because it grows up with the reader. So for example when I read ‘Silverborn’ at 8 I had no idea of the tons of political innuendo that was going on in that book. But now at 12 I can pick up on tons of things that I had never noticed before. It is that rare gateway drug to fantasy that is also a completely stand alone and really complex novel.

Ellie · Answer

As the author of Nevermoor is premature to shelve this book in the 9-12 range; I’ve seen many teens read this as a comfort book and several grown ups (including my own book club made up of people in their 30s) have loved the whimsicalness of the book. The magic in Nevermoor centers around the idea of cursed children and their Patron Saints, which is pretty unique but also sort of comfortingly familiar for fans of His Dark Materials. It’s a quick read that will really appeal to the shorter attention span of many middle grade readers, but there are also some really deeply emotional moments to the story, particularly Morrigan’s feelings of loneliness, and the found family aspect of the story.

Some of the vocabulary (e.g. ‘malevolent’, ‘sinister’) may challenge younger readers to grow in their reading. However, themes of class and destiny are also skillfully woven throughout the books, prompting some great conversations around dinner tables. If your kid loves Amari and the Night Brothers, Nevermoor is a MUST READ – just be prepared for them to bugging you to go to their own version of Nevermoor and riding dragons to classes in their own elementary school.

Kelsey · Answer

Jessica Townsend’ Nevermoor books are for 8-12 year old readers. I’ve chosen Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend for this category. I think Morrigan Crow and Jupiter North are great main characters for this book, and the trials that Morrigan faces as part of The Wundrous Society are very magical and amazing. It has that Harry Potter feel to it, but with its own special twist, of talking giant cats, a haunted umbrella and plenty more. I think pre-teens will especially love the story as it is about friendship, and discovering who you are, but I also think children younger than 8 who are very advanced, and even some adults who love children’s books and are feeling nostalgic, will also enjoy Nevermoor. The writing is very lively and is not too complex to imagine, so it is written for this age group but not ‘talked down’ to.

Deeta Pratiwi · Answer

First of all, the covers look fantastic. They will appeal to 8-12 year olds in search of a fun, magical adventure and look very substantial and special on a bookshelf. Inside, the writing is clear and engaging. The short chapters and the way each one ends will mean that kids beg to read ‘just one more chapter’ before bed. The book’s age range is explicitly built into the book’s structure. It respects the short attention span of the age group and uses that to build and slowly reveal a complex world. A fantastic read for kids of the upper elementary reading age and one that I would unreservedly give to any kid of that age.

Toyin Bamgboje · Answer

For commercial purposes, Nevermoor is a Middle Grade book (MG). This category refers to books that are written for a 10-13 year old protagonist, aimed at readers aged 8-12 and typically running to around 400 pages in the upper end of the genre. Therefore, according to commercial definitions, Nevermoor is an upper MG book. But then, the very best of the MG genre has always had crossover. It’s a book, not a toy with an age rating. This book is read by adults because of its unique, sharp writing and its highly realized world.

Pamela Payne · Answer

In my opinion, the true reading age for this long book with lots of characters and a quite complex and unique magical system is less determined by age and more by the reader’s mindset. So far I had the pleasure to read the book with 7-year-old precocious readers who loved it and 13-year-old readers who prefer much shorter, more contemporary books and had problems. The content of the book is very safe for all readers and the complexity of the book does not stem from mature themes but from the complex narrative. So, in the end, I would recommend this book to confident readers of any age. Average readers tend to develop this level of confidence around 9-10 years of age. But the story itself is pure fun for any soul in need of a lift.

Trinity Sanders · Answer

Nevermoor is a quintessential ‘tween’ series – that space of around 10-12 years old and beginning to choose for themselves. ‘Nevermoor’ is cool – Morrigan, a rebellious heroine; Randomiser, a mysterious patron; and The Cuckoo, a huge shapeshifting giant cat. But also deep. And not sad. ‘Nevermoor’ is currently the right age for a number of things – in particular the exploration of independence within a very safe ‘magical’ world. And Morrigan is strongly supported by her very quirky but lovely found family to deal with the very large challenges that she faces. It is also just very very fun. The Wundrous Society trials that make up the bulk of the book are so inventive and never feels like homework.

Triple K · Answer

My take on this book as a children’s literature reviewer would be to place it in the category for ages 8-12. The content is fine — no sex, very little violence (mostly not to actually hurt people and is magical in nature), and is very positive in its portrayal of friendships, courage in the face of adventure, and cleverness and critical thinking. The reading level would be approximately Grade 5, but could be read by a strong 3rd grader. This book is smart — lots of clever wordplay, social satire, and it is a very detailed and imaginary world. Thus, it will have tons of appeal to adults as well. It is a book that parents will not mind reading over and over again to their elementary school age children as there will be things that they have not yet noticed in the book. I would give a green light to this book for elementary age children and a strong “yes” to this book for older readers who can appreciate a really good fantasy.

Mrs.Juno · Answer

The series is like a fantastic concoction of the finest ingredients from the books of Diana Wynne Jones and Roald Dahl, served up in a modern manner. Thus, fans of those authors will recognize that the books are able to be read by people of all ages. The logic behind the books’ magical elements is equally absurd and profound. There is much humor, too, which is both wide and strange. I devoured this book at the age of 35 and equally enjoyed it at 8 years of age. (For this reason, it’s one of those rare books that is not aimed at a specific age group but at people of a certain demeanor. So, as long as you are alive and have a sense of wonder then these books are for you. For those who insist on a specific number then 9+ years old would be a good starting point.)

Vernon Truax · Answer

Forget chronological age, and think about the reader’s overall reading experience. Does the child read other mid-to-long length fantasy books? If so, she’s already a reader of ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Percy Jackson’ or ‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ books and will enjoy ‘Nevermoor’. Zana Fraillon’s writing is probably a little more descriptive and full of fantasy than Rick Riordan’s but the chapters are short and the hooks are strong. This is a great ‘first thick book’ for children new to reading longer novels. Typically this would be a 9-10 year old reader but a very confident and voracious 8 year old reader would also enjoy it. It’s a great book to help build a child’s confidence in reading longer novels.

What Age Group Is The Nevermoor Book Series Suitable For?

11 Answers

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