THE BRAVEST PRINCESS by E. D. Baker

Princess Annie and her magical immunity are back to try and save the day. This time she has seen her sister successfully married, and Annie is off to help her friend, Snow White. Snow's evil step-mother has escaped, and Snow is on a fast track to marriage so she can leave her kingdom and go somewhere safe. She wants Annie's help in choosing the right prince. Annie also has her own troubles to deal with in this story -- someone has figured out a way around her magical immunity, and Annie is in real danger.

It took me several days to get started on this book, so I had it on display in the library for awhile in my "What I'm Reading Now" spot. Student after student asked if she could check it out and were crushed to discover it was my personal book and not part of our school library. I was surprised by how many girls requested the book but hadn't read the first two books in the series. The cover really captured their attention! Happily, I could steer them toward the start of the series while they wait for me to get a copy for the school.

This was a great adventure story and a terrific continuation of the series. There's great development of the relationship between Annie and Prince Liam - including some realistic tension between Annie's desire to be helpful and Liam's desire to keep her safe. Another good happily-ever-after for a princess in Annie's world, and hopefully more adventures to come in the Wide-Awake Princess series.

4.5 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level at this time

GIVEAWAY: The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

    

I received an email last week from Egmont USA telling me about an ebook coming out this week - A Royal Birthday: A False Princess Short Story by Eilis O'Neal.

I loved  The False Princess. It's been awhile since I read it, but you can read my review of it here.

I immediately pre-ordered the new short story for my Nook and I received it on Tuesday. I hope you will check it out. You can read about it here.

Comment below for a chance to win a hardcover copy of the original story, The False Princess. 
[note: this book is not related to The False Prince in any way I've been able to discern.] Comment by midnight Eastern on Saturday, December 14th for a chance to win.

RESCUE PRINCESSES and NOTEBOOK OF DOOM

     

These are two new transitional chapter book series being promoted by Scholastic.

At a special event to introduce young princesses and princes to the area kings and queens, Princess Emily and her new friends uncover a plot to capture animals in the royal forest in The Secret Promise. The "Rescue Princesses" are born as the girls swear to help animals whenever they are in danger. This simple story will have great appeal to readers who enjoy princess or animal stories - and I have plenty of students who love BOTH who will think this is outstanding! With an AR reading level of 4.5, this will be perfect for my first and second graders who are reading way above grade level but who aren't ready for middle grade books. (3 out of 5 stars)

In Rise of the Balloon Goons, Alexander and his dad have moved to a new town. At the old school building, Alexander finds a notebook that describes odd monsters like the "playing mantis" and the "rhinoceraptor." And if that wasn't creepy enough, Alexander is convinced there are balloon creatures following him and causing trouble. The only guy who believes Alexander is a bully named Rip. When the balloon goons take Rip to their fortress, Alexander follows them, hoping to save Rip and the town. This is another simple story that will appeal to young readers ready to try chapter books.  The "monster" aspect is fairly mild, but parents should be sure their kiddos are ready to read about these quirky monsters without having nightmares. (3 out of 5 stars. AR reading level of 3.3)

Both of these series are growing - you can see some of the other titles below:

                  
      

ALA Week: PRINCESS TALES and MONSTER NEEDS A COSTUME

One of the highlights of my summer was our trip to Chicago for vacation and for the American Library Association annual conference. Publishers graciously provided Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of some of their upcoming books and I have been slowly working through my pile of these treasures. For the next couple weeks I'll be reviewing some of the books I picked up at ALA. If a book hasn't released yet, I'll post the release date in the review.  Enjoy!!

Classic princess stories with lovely pictures. Includes look and find feature.

4 out of 5 stars
Releases October 15, 2013
www.macmillanusa.com

[excerpt only] The excerpt from the publisher (www.scarlettapress.com) included all the text and a few illustrations for this darling book about a monster who needs a costume for Halloween. I can't wait to see the rest of the illustrations because the ones I did see were a highlight of the story.

4 out of 5 stars
If I had a child young enough to enjoy Halloween, I would snatch this one up!
Releases today!

PICTURE BOOK: Dangerously Ever After by Dashka Slater

Princess Amanita is not your stereotypical prim and prissy princess. She likes things that are a little more.... dangerous. Her garden, full of thistles and man-eating plants, is one of her favorite dangerous places. One day, a prince named Florian stumbles upon Amanita and her garden - and blows up a cluster of grenapes, ruining Amanita's wheelbarrow. As a peace offering, Florian brings a bunch of roses from his kingdom - something Amanita despises until she discovers their thorns. She asks for some seeds to grow her own, but instead of rose seeds, her note looks like she wants nose seeds, and the flowers she grows are quite annoying and not very dangerous. This sets Amanita on an adventure to find Florian's kingdom, even if she has to travel some dangerous terrain all by herself.

Our closest book store is in the next county, and on a trip back in February we walked in during a meeting of that county's reading council. About thirty teachers were set up in the middle of the store, listening to book sellers and authors talking about some of their latest favorites in books for kids. I eavesdropped as much as I could, and we eventually got a snack and sat in the cafe so I could hear the end of the presentation. This was one of the books they highlighted. I loved the twist on the typical princess story - I think I have some girls at school who are less Snow White and more Amanita. Even some of my boys might like a story with noses instead of roses and grapes that explode like grenades.

4 out of 5 stars
AR level of 4.1

Recommended for: early elementary, although I suspect more of my second graders will like this one than my kindergarteners.

PICTURE BOOK: The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

On the same day, a farmer discovers a small pig in his wagon and a queen is holding her baby girl. In one rash move, the baby tumbles from the tower into the wagon and the piglet is bounced from the hay up into the princess's crib. The farmer and his wife believe a fairy has turned their pig into a child as a gracious and benevolent act while the king and queen believe an angry fairy has turned their princess into a pig because she wasn't invited to the christening. The girl grows up sweet and charming while the pig is just a pig. Eventually, the farmer and his wife realize what has happened. Sadly they head off to the castle to make things right....

I won't spoil the fun by telling the end. I'll only say this book was a delight to read from beginning to end. I found this one at the Scholastic Book Fair at our church and my first thought after reading this was, "Why wasn't THIS book in my preview pack!" I thought it was far better than anything else Scholastic had included in their pre-packaged preview sets for advertising their spring fairs. I can't wait to read this one to my students and rave about it to every teacher and parent who comes through our fair at the end of the month. This was a winner!

5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.2

Recommended for: Everyone!

PICTURE BOOK: Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming

Jack has nothing to give the princess at her 10th birthday party. But he trades the things he does have for supplies to bake her a cake. And it is lovely. But by the time he walks to the castle and is face to face with the princess, something has happened to each part of his beautiful cake and he has nothing to give the princess... except the story of his adventure.

I have already read this to several of my classes because I liked it so much - I love the message of the value of a good story. I could see using this for a general reading time as well as a discussion of writing and stories.

5 out of 5 stars
AR Reading Level of 3.8

FRIDAY: A Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

[I won this book from one of my favorite book blogs - From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors]

Surely you know the stories of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rapunzel. What you  may not know are the stories of Frederick, Liam, Duncan and Gustav. Those guys are the princes in those stories. All most people know about them is that they are princes - they aren't even called by their own names, just "Prince Charming." 

This story starts after the fairy tales -  Ella leaves to find adventure, Sleeping Beauty is a shrew and Liam can't stand her, Snow White asks for a "little space," and Gustav is bitter about being saved by a girl so Rapunzel leaves to use her healing powers on those who would appreciate her. The princes stumble into one another and stumble onto an evil plot. Through a succession of errors and disasters, they might just save the day after all.

4.5 out of 5 stars

This was great fun! I love fractured fairy tales, and this story was right up my alley. Each character is unique  - the princes, the princesses - and they evolve as individuals and in some cases as couples in fascinating ways. My favorite moment in the story is when the guys realize how to work together instead of working against one another. This is another one that I can't decide if I should put it in the library or keep this copy for myself and get another for school. I hope there are going to be more stories for these characters!

MONDAY: Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Summary
Benevolence wasn't supposed to be princess. Her uncle was the king and she was happy with her life away from the castle proper with her parents. But when the king is killed, along with Ben's mother, and her father is missing and presumed dead, Ben is next in line for the throne. Grieving and put out over all she has lost, Ben and the queen enter into an epic power struggle that leaves Ben locked in a tower cell. But that cell leads to a secret room where Ben begins to learn magic. And her new skills lead to an adventure that will change the direction of her life and will impact the future of her kingdom.

Review
This was a great story! Beautiful language - more intricate than typical middle grade fiction. Frankly, it is more intricate than a lot of adult fiction. Ben is a sympathetic character at the beginning, but the transformation that comes through time, trial, insight and maturity is even more satisfying. Plenty of material for discussion at home or school - body image and weight, assumptions and pre-conceived notions about people, etc. Excellent story!

4.5 stars out of 5
AR level of 7.9

Recommended for: strong readers 6th grade and older, fans of prince/princess stories

Cautions: none

MONDAY: The False Princess

Summary 
For 16 years, she was Nalia, princess of Thorvaldor. Then, in one moment, she becomes Sinda, the princess' "stand in," put in place through a magic spell, in order to protect the princess from prophesied disaster. Once the magic is removed, Sinda is sent to live with an aunt she's never known who thought she was dead all this time. Sinda's lost the only family she's ever known, her home, her best-friend, her very identity.

As Sinda struggles to redefine her life, she must make peace with an immense amount of previously unknown magic. She returns to Thorvaldor to learn to master her magic, and stumbles into a plot to overthrow the rulers of Thorvaldor. Can a displaced false princess ever hope to save her kingdom? 

Review
Fantastic!! Great characters. Increasing levels of distress - personal, then interpersonal, then national - pull the reader through the story. Amazing plot twists. Mild romantic story line. Sinda is a great character, realistically dealing with the upheaval in her core identity and the doubts she battles. I would happily share The False Princess with others and would read it again some time. Excellent story.


5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: children 12 and up, readers who like princess stories that are more intricate than the typical princess story for younger kids, mystery lovers


Cautions: none
[I am an Amazon Associate. If you link to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a small portion of the purchase price.]

TUESDAY: The Extra-Ordinary Princess

Amelia is a princess, but she never quite fits in with her older sisters. She's not as good as they are at princess-y things and she even struggles with school. Her family loves her, but she still feels out of step and "ordinary." But when her parents die from a mysterious plague sweeping their land, and an evil uncle swoops in and takes over the kingdom, Amelia is the only one who can rally her people and save her home.

I loved this book. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The story meanders a bit at the beginning. The author doesn't lay out the back story in a linear way. In other books I find that distracting, but in this one I was enjoying the characters and the writing so much, I didn't care. Once the stage is set, the story moves forward quickly with plenty of conflict and danger for the characters to keep the reader flipping pages to see what happens next. Check this one out!

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.]

TUESDAY: The Princess Plot

This is another book that I read ages ago and LOVED. Can't believe I didn't review it before now.

Jenna is used to her life, even though it is frustrating at times. It's just her and her mom... her over-protective, suffocating mom who gives etiquette lessons for a living. Not a lot of fun.

But when movie people show up, offering auditions and a role in a real movie, Jenna decides her life needs a little excitement. She has no idea what she is walking into!

Before she really knows what's happening, she's on a private airplane to a foreign country where she is supposed to pretend to be a princess. But something doesn't add up. Overheard conversations, a missing boy and a real princess who looks so much like Jenna they could be twins all start pointing to this being about something a lot more serious than a movie role.


This is a fantastic contemporary princess story. The mystery is well-done, with bits of information doled out here and there so you see some of the things coming, but there are some surprises, too. Terrific story!

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.]

FRIDAY: Neverafter

Four stories in one book. I read three of them and enjoyed each one. I have mentioned before that I like princess stories, fractured fairy tales and grown up fairy tales. These three stories were great and none of them crossed too far into the "grown up" category to require a disclaimer. There are a few characters who embrace "alternate" lifestyles, but no details are given.

Can He Bake a Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton is a short story about a princess faced with marriage to an appalling, sleazy man. Her only other choice is to go on a quest that will likely lead to her death. The princess chooses to make her own destiny and takes her chance on the quest, but it doesn't quite go like she thought it would.

The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu is a mysterious story about a princess being forced into marriage to a brutal warlord. She has never met him in person, but the stories of his brutality are legendary. Fear of this man and a dark and magical forest draw the princess away from the castle and into great adventure and discovery.

The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn is the story of a headstrong princess who, after fighting the idea of a suitor chosen for her, finds herself on a trek with the two men who won the challenge for her hand. One is an adventurous magician and the other is a dull gentleman she has known her whole life. The journey opens her eyes to previously unknown things about herself, her family, and these men in her life.

I didn't try the fourth story because the premise just didn't grab my attention. Other readers may find it as enjoyable as I found these three stories. One line I enjoyed so much that I wrote it down sums up these stories well: "They never tell you in fairy tales that sometimes the prize may not be worth the effort." (pg 25)

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.]

TUESDAY: The Princess and the Peabodys

(for some reason, I can only find the link to the Kindle version of this, but it is available in hardback, too. It is for kids 9 to 12)

Casey and her grandmother spend the occasional Saturday at garage sales. One morning they find an old, heavy box they can't open. At home, with the help of Casey's dad and brother, they open the box and find a princess inside, tiara and all. And she is NOT happy about finding "commoners" with weird clothes who refuse to bow and curtsy to her. Now Casey and her family have to count on a student wizard from Princess Eglantine's time to get "Egg" back where she belongs so they can get back to their lives.

This was a very fun story. It reminded me of the recent Disney movie The Princess Protection Program in that you have a princess who is used to a certain sort of life being thrust into the regular every day life of "commoners." This story is about younger characters and has some magic thrown in which takes the story in a different direction than the Disney movie. I think I liked this story better. I would happily recommend this story - and even read it again myself.