Marigold Star

Written & illustrated by Elise Primavera

A spell gone wrong sends Marigold to the human world. Can she return before her world crumbles?

5.5/7 Bookroo expert·3.8/5 Goodreads · 51 ratings

240 pages

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Bookroo's summary

Marigold Star, a young girl from Bramblycrumbly, can't perform magic despite her destined greatness. Desperate, she tries the Invis-O-Friend Spell, becoming invisible to all but those who need her most. The spell transports her to the human world, where she must befriend lonely children to return home. With time running out, Marigold faces the challenge of bridging two worlds before they both collapse. Will she succeed in her quest and find her way back, or will she be lost between worlds forever?

From the publisher

From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Elise Primavera comes an imaginative young middle grade fantasy adventure bubbling with wit and whimsy. Marigold Star is destined for greatness. Everyone in Bramblycrumbly thinks so, her parents and pet dragon included. There’s just one problem. Marigold can’t do magic! Then one day she tries a new spell written in a very old book. It’s called the Invis-O-Friend Spell, and it makes Marigold invisible to all but the friend who needs her most. To Marigold’s surprise, the spell works! But now there’s another problem. The spell sent Marigold to the human world. And to return home, she’ll have to befriend a host of human children who are struggling to make friends. Marigold will have to hurry, or the line between her magical world and the human one might crumble until she has no home left to go back to.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 240
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade

Themes & topics

Books about magic Books about friendship Books about family

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Magic

This book is about magical characters and includes discussion of magical spells such as the "invisibility spell" and the "flying spell."

Scary Villains and Characters

This book mentions ghost children who are friends of the main character. A "super scary shadow boy" is one of the characters in this book. He is mentioned in the second chapter and again towards the end of the book.

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.5

out of 7

5.5

“Marigold Star lives in a magical world but can't seem to get even the easiest of spells to work. This is a very cute book that gives readers a sense of magic, but the main character is very easy to relate to as we all search for our own unique abilities. This book does mention ghost children and "a super scary shadow boy," neither of which are particularly scary.”

Mom of Boys

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one