Parents' Guide to

The Marrow Thieves

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Powerful sci-fi tale of Natives hunted for bone marrow.

The Marrow Thieves Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 13+
Love the book. Great to see indigenous people portrayed in a positive light. There are a smattering of swear words. One scene mentions that a character was raped but doesn’t go into details

This title has:

Great role models
age 12+

Great novel to challenge teens and pre-teens to think outside of their own comfort zone.

I love this book and so did my 13 year old son. It has some difficult content and a few swears but nothing too bad compared with a lot of stuff out there. The lessons in this book are awesome. Themes of community strength, indigenous identity, residential schools, the value of language, and the importance of diversity. It has adventure, love, and loss. I highly recommend this book.

This title has:

Educational value
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (8):

Climate change promises to be a topic of vital importance to teen readers, and this near-future dystopian makes the subject compelling without succumbing to melodrama. The quest for safety undertaken by Frenchie and his companions is fraught with danger and tragedy, but their indomitable spirit allows them to survive. Each character is drawn with precision, but Frenchie commands attention with his struggle to be responsible while wanting to seek his own way. Author Cherie Dimaline crafts scenes brimming with dramatic intensity but also excels at creating quiet scenes for her characters. Smart, urgent, and moving, The Marrow Thieves is likely to appeal to a wide range of teen readers.

Book Details

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