Type of bind: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 250
Printing Date: July 06, 2005
Publishing house: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Age index: Young Adult
Release Date: June 16, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 123380
Studio: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Fourteen-year-old Miri lives on a mountain where her ancestors have quarried stone and lived in poverty for generations. Then just before winter's very first snowfall, a delegation from the lowlands arrive with exciting news. The king's priests have divined that her small village is the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince will come himself and chose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, where every girl of age will be sent to learn the skills of a princess. But there is no way Miri can prepare herself for what lies in store.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I really liked Shannon Hale's "Goose Girl" (I expected it to be terrible - it was not). Banking on that, I picked up "Princess Academy" and the fact that Miri was a name I was once oddly obsessed with. The plot seemed sort of silly and the title ridiculous but I said, "What the hey, I'll give this over-girly looking book a shot."
Once again, as with "Goose Girl", I'm glad I gave Hale a chance. She's twice now managed to take seemingly stupid remakes of fairy tales into funny, absolutely enjoyable reads. "Princess Academy", while I guess not immediately based off of any fairy tale, reads like one with the princess, the prince, the evil no-good-doers, and the happy ending. This delightful story, written simply and clearly in such a way that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish, manages to take seemingly dull ideas and spin them into a fun tale. And it's got just about everything a fairy tale remake needs, without the cliches, the awkwardness, or the annoying bits. Characters are all pleasant and semi-realistic (at times too good or too bad, but it's easy to overlook); the plot is fun and enjoyable.
"Princess Academy" is still a pretty girly book. Don't get me wrong. It's still a young adult book, geared probably for girls (maybe boys too, but much less so) around twelve, thirteen, and is written accordingly. It's not a grand masterpiece - it's a fun read that will make readers feel warm and fuzzy inside while laughing out loud at various bits and clinging to the book in suspense in others. Well-written as "Goose Girl" was, minus the editing need, engaging, and an overall pleasure, "The Princess Academy" should not simply be overlooked because of the title.
Warmly recommended. Enjoy!
Rated by buyers 
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This book was alot of fun to read, and I will make it mandatory reading for my children. Shannon Hale has a wonderful way of weaving words and capturing the imagination.
Rated by buyers -
this was a great read. it has a great message of learning, loving and being happy where you are. it was an easy read, as well.
Rated by buyers 
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I think my children will enjoy this book when they get a bit older, maybe 4th or 5th grade. I actally wanted to read it for myself because Stephenie Meyer thanked Shannon Hale as a mentor in her last book, so I was interested in reading something by her. This is the only book I've read by Shannon Hale, and I found her writing style very inventive and interesting, but not quite what I expected. I thought it would be more like "Ella Enchanted" or "The Ordinary Princess," and the style is quite different from those. It was not a favorite, but I did like Shannon Hale's characters and positive feel of the book. I thought it involved issues and circumstances that would interest children of school age.
Rated by buyers -
Miri is a girl who lives on Mount Eskel, which is a territory (not a province) of Danland. The villagers of the mountain don't particularly like lowlanders, which encompasses all people who don't live on Eskel. The lowlanders reciprocate. So it's a surprise to all when Danland's priests draw lots to find out what city the future princess will come from and Mount Eskel is chosen. Miri's not sure that she wants to be a princess, because she'd have to leave her home and live with a bunch of snobby lowlanders (and what if the prince is snobby?). But the choice is taken out of her hands...
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I will say that it's one of the most surprising, wonderful endings that I've read so far. Buy Princess Academy and see for yourself. And after that, check out
Book of A Thousand Days.
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