Tag: princesses

REVIEW: Princess Juniper of Torr by Ammi-Joan Paquette

REVIEW: Princess Juniper of Torr by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Princess Juniper has enjoyed quite an adventure. She requested a small country to practice ruling, and her father gave her Queen’s Basin. Her band of kid-citizens has created a cooperative community there, and Juniper has learned a lot about leadership. She even made contact with her mother’s people, the Anju.

But it’s time to leave Queen’s Basin and return to Torr. The Monsians have invaded, and Juniper’s father, King Regis has been captured. So Juniper and her friends have a plan to return to Torr and set things right. Can a group of kids have any hope of saving a kingdom? Did Cyril leave to warn his father, the one who let the Monsians into Torr? Or could he still be on Juniper’s side? Will the Anju help Juniper save the day? Or is she be completely on her own to rescue her father and save her people from war?

Review

Great conclusion to the Princess Juniper trilogy! Juniper has grown up a lot in the weeks that she has been on her own. She’s built confidence in herself and in her team.

There are some nice twists still to come in this story as people vie for power in Torr. Things move faster than Juniper expects and not everyone is who she thought they were. And that increases the tension and pacing of the story nicely.

Everything’s wrapped up neatly for fans of the series with this book. A satisfying conclusion for Juniper and the people of both Queen’s Basin and Torr.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Princesses, Inc. by Mari Mancusi

REVIEW: Princesses, Inc. by Mari Mancusi

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Hailey, Kalani, Sarah. and Madison are Collin Prince’s biggest fans. Collin is a YouTube star who does magic and crazy videos. And Collin is going to be at Comicpalooza!

Sadly, the trip is too expensive for any of the girls to be able to go. Until they get the great idea to earn money by becoming themed babysitters. Just like people do with princess parities, the girls hire themselves out to babysit but they show up in costume. They even plan routines with magic and pirates (for kids who don’t like princesses) and buried treasure.

Soon, the girls are juggling school, sports, family and babysitting. On top of that, Hailey is trying to keep up with her fanfiction project with Sarah while also writing a story for the Comicpalooza kids’ writing contest. But it’s only for a few months, right? They can keep juggling it all for a few months. For Collin! Can’t they?

Review

This is a fairly familiar concept – teen takes on more than he/she can handle until everything crashes around him/her. But it is executed with a fun pop culture twist here that really clicked for me. I loved that Hailey is a writer. And I loved her energy and enthusiasm. The story stressed me out when everything started to unravel. But the ending was delightful and satisfying (if somewhat predictable).

The character development is pretty light except for Hailey. But the other three girls and the rest of the supporting cast are solid and enjoyable.

I’ve enjoyed the MIX line by Aladdin for years (You can find them on bookstore and library shelves because they have multicolored stripes on the spine. MIX books have stories centered on female protagonists while MAX is their latest line with stories focused on male protagonists). The stories were always popular with my students while I was teaching, and I know they would enjoy this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Thanks to Netgalley and Aladdin/Simon and Schuster for an electronic advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading Princess Inc, and will continue to watch for MAX and MIX books from Aladdin in the future.

 

 

REVIEW: Princess Juniper of the Anju by Ammi-Joan Paquette

REVIEW: Princess Juniper of the Anju by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Princess Juniper is torn. She knows her home kingdom of Torr has been attacked and her father, the king, has probably been taken prisoner. She would love to head home and save the day – if only she knew how!

But more than half of their horses have been stolen. Maybe, if they can recover the horses, they would be in better shape to mount a rescue. And maybe by then she’ll have a plan.

The search for the horses will lead Juniper to her mother’s people, the Anju. Once she finds them, she’ll have to decide where her place is – in Queen’s Basin with her small group of subjects; in Torr, rescuing her father; or with the Anju, the family she has never known.

 

Review

This is such a fun series! The characters from book one are back, but we get to see Juniper and Cyril the most in this story – and that’s awesome. The new Anju characters are a fantastic addition.

I loved seeing Juniper wrestling with her place and her role with the Anju. This is an identity story but it is also a story about leadership and power and how to use both responsibly.

In some ways, this is an interlude. The story ends up only dealing with the big crisis in Torr in only small ways – they find a spy ring, they wrestle with the role of the Anju in a possible retaliatory strike, and Juniper wonders from afar what is happening in her kingdom. But all those pieces set up the third book – Princess Juniper of Torr – nicely. And the Anju pieces made for a terrific story on their own.

This is a satisfying sequel to Princess Juniper of the Hourglass. I am looking forward to book three!

Rating:♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Princess Anya and her sister lost their mother once upon a time. Their father remarried, and their step-mother was not evil, but she was prone to getting lost in her work. Then the king died. The girls’ stepmother remarried. And their “stepstepfather” was an evil sorcerer, consumed with growing more powerful and taking over the kingdom. And he has a habit of turning potential suitors into frogs!

Princess Anya promises her sister that she will find the latest prince-turned-frog. This leads her on an epic quest to brew a lip balm potion to restore her stepstepfather’s victims. Along the way she’ll meet robbers who steal from the rich and give to the poor, a Good Wizard, seven dwarves and an old wizard called Snow White, and a group of witches. She’ll also be challenged to put the former days of law and order back in place. But Anya can only do that if she can defeat her stepstepfather once and for all.

Review

I liked this! Princess Anya is smart, compassionate and dedicated to her quest and to keeping her word. The typical fairy tale pieces are given a creative twist – like magic carpets that roll their riders inside to fly or Snow White being an old, male wizard with a long white beard.

The quest was long. Anya picked up several companions on the journey. And she promised to help lots of folks. She had to secure a lot of potion ingredients. And at the same time, she had to avoid her stepstepfather and protect herself from those who would try to deceive or betray her.

The story dragged at times. There was just so much tied into the quest. I started to wonder if the quest would span over multiple books, but the story arc was resolved by the end. The world is interesting enough and the cast large enough for a sequel, but this story will stand alone. If you are – or you know – a fan of re-imagined fairy tales, have them give this one a try.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥