Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed!
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed!, by Diane Walker and illustrated by Tim Probert, is the first book in the Dungeons Academy series and set in the world of the popular Dungeons & Dragons game. It's a middle grade fantasy adventure about Zellidora Stormclash, a human girl raised by two monster Minotaur moms. Left in a basket as a baby, Zelli was picked up by her minotaur mothers and raised in a world of monsters. Now in school, the Dungeon Academy, she wears fake horns and a fake tail to ensure nobody will find out she's actually a human. Curious about why she was abandoned, Zelli sets out on an adventure to try to find her birth mother. The only problem is that her birth mother's entire family is the sworn enemy of monsters. There's a fair amount of fighting, some scary illustrations of skeletons, skulls, and other monsters, and some scenes of peril and danger. Monsters also threaten characters by saying, "I'll chop you in two," "tear out your throat," and "eat you to pieces." There are swords, axes, shields, magic, and sorcery, and other weaponry. When a girl gets bitten by an owlbear on the shoulder, the wound bleeds for a while. One friend has a crush on a classmate. This is a fun adventure about family, friendship, and a girl trying to find where she belongs.
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What's the Story?
In DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: DUNGEON ACADEMY: NO HUMANS ALLOWED! Zellidora Stormclash is a human girl living in a monster world. She sets out on a dangerous search for the family that abandoned her in a basket when she was a baby. The only problem is that she was raised by monsters, and she is a human, the avowed enemy of all monsters! Will Zellidora find what she's looking for?
Is It Any Good?
A fun and clever way to set up an adventure in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, this middle grade romp is fast, fun, and charming. The emotional core to Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed! is strong and endearing, and like a mystery, Zellidora's journey toward answers about her past efficiently drives the story forward. Along the way, she picks up some "different" monster friends, protects those who are in need, and faces off against an intimidating villain to save the day. A tale of family, friendship, and what it means to belong, Zellidora's quest features a strong Black girl heroe, lots of action, and a generally satisfying conclusion.
For some, however, the subject of reunion with a birth mother could be a sensitive issue. For many adoptees and adoptee families, the prospect of reunions with birth mothers, parents, and families can be a fraught and complicated thing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in fantasy and adventure middle grade books. Was the violence in Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed! enjoyable? Do you think it added to the action or slowed down the story?
What's the main lesson Zellidora learns by the end of the story?
Would you have made the same decision as Zellidora at the end? Why or why not?
Book Details
- Author: Madeleine Roux
- Illustrator: Tim Probert
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship, Middle School, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date: November 2, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 208
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 17, 2021
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