Princess Academy

Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2005







Genre:  High fantasy, Science-fiction, Romance

Honors: Newbery Honor Book, New York Times Best Seller, Book Sense Pick, Publishers Weekly Best Seller, ALA Notable Children's Book, Beehive Award winner, New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, New England Booksellers Association Top Ten Titles for Fall, Utah Children's Book Award, Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, DCF Voting Top Ten, Salt Lake Tribune Best Book, Recommended Reads for Kids

Review:  Miri is a teenage girl who lives in a remote village on the slopes of Mount Eskel, known for it's quarry and unique stone. News reaches Miri's town that the prince of the their country will be choosing one of their girls as a bride. Miri, along with nineteen other girls must attend an academy to teach them how to be proper princesses. The girls develop a close relationship over their time at the academy, specifically after Miri discovers how to communicate telepathically. 

Opinion:  I absolutely loved everything about this book. The main characters' inner conflict between her desire to be a real princess versus her love for her village and Peder, created a fantastic story line. Additionally, I thought the science fictional aspect of how the girls were able to communicate was a lot of fun and well-developed.

Ideas:  This piece would be a perfect suggestion for older tween girls looking for a well-written book. Another possibility might be to add this to a book list with a telepathy theme.