Shelly's Book Blog

A few months ago I read Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days, so when I saw another of her books, Princess Academy, I decided to try it. Princess Academy was a Newbery Honor book in 2006, and I definitely agree with the committee's choice here. The smart and spunky heroine, Miri, feels left out because she is not allowed to work, as most of her village does, in the quarry mining a special stone called linder. Then her life, and the lives of many of the other girls in her village, changes drastically when she is sent to a special academy for potential princesses. Although she goes reluctantly, she soon discovers the joy of learning and even starts to hope that she will become a princess. The interplay among all the girls attending the academy explores themes of friendship, ambition, jealousy, love, and family. The story moves along nicely, while still delving deep enough into the characters' lives to make readers care about what happens to them. I enjoyed this imaginative fairy tale very much.