The musical reading
The opening chapters, read by Audrey Alwett and accompanied on the harp by Ameylia Saad Wu. On quotation.
Maison des Chœurs, Montpellier, Comédie du Livre 2023
Trilogy · Gallimard Jeunesse · Age 11+
Magic Charly
Fortune-telling doughnuts, flying grimoires, an enchanted mop and a soul thief… Welcome to the bewitching world of Magic Charly!
You can own a cat with extraordinary abilities and know nothing about the existence of the magiciers. That is the case for Charly Vernier, until he discovers that his grandmother may be an eminent member of their society. But she is in grave danger. If he wants to save her, and save himself, Charly has no choice: he must become an apprentice magicier.
A wildly imaginative adventure, where the worlds of Terry Pratchett, J.K. Rowling and Hayao Miyazaki meet.
- Publisher
- Gallimard Jeunesse
- Formats
- Hardback, Folio Junior paperback, audiobook read by Guillaume Marquet
- Illustrations
- Stan Manoukian
- In figures
- More than 150,000 copies · translated into Dutch, Russian and Hungarian
- Awards
- Prix Rennes et Ille-et-Vilaine (2021), Prix Croqu’livres (2021), Readers’ Mention, La Voix des Blogs (2020)
The trilogy
Covers and interior illustrations © Stan Manoukian · Gallimard Jeunesse
What the press says
“Why did we choose this novel? Because it’s magic!”
“Magic Charly is a real favourite. The story Audrey Alwett tells is wonderfully well crafted and rich.”
“It is Audrey Alwett’s language that works wonders. Every word is a sweet the reader rolls around their tongue with relish.”
On video
“One of the most enjoyable things about creating a fantasy world is imagining the creatures, but also the plants and objects that will make your story truly personal. In Magic Charly, I drew on traditional fairy-tale elements (bogeymen, unicorns, poulpiquets, giant beanstalks, pumpkin coaches, Baba Yaga’s hut on chicken legs…) but I added something personal to every one of them.”
Illustrations © Stan Manoukian · Gallimard Jeunesse
Going further
All events and workshops
The exhibition
A writing workshop in 13 panels: invent your own story and discover how a book is published. Free, via Gallimard Jeunesse.
Illustrations © Stan Manoukian · Gallimard Jeunesse
The activity booklet
Write your own mini-novel in eight steps, create your world, your characters, your bestiary… For pupils aged 11 to 14 (French 6e, 5e and 4e).
Illustrations © Stan Manoukian · Gallimard Jeunesse
Where to buy
From your local bookshop, ideally. These sites show you which one near you has it in stock.