PRINCESS ACADEMY

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hale, Shannon. 2005. Princess Academy. New York, NY: Bloomsbury. ISBN 1582349932

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Miri is a 14 year old girl living in the quarry of Mount Eskel. She is smaller than the other girls and is not allowed to work with everyone else. One day the king sends an announcement that the prince is to marry a girl from Mount Eskel. The girls are sent to an academy to learn how to be a proper princess. There is a lot of competition and tension among the girls, and it worsens when bandits take the girls captive. Is Miri able to save the girls and realize her true calling in the end?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Shannon Hale has created a world similar to our own, with a main country, and territories, including Mount Eskel. The citizens of Mount Eskel enjoy their simple lives, except for Miri, the little 14 year old who wants something more. Readers are able to picture the beautiful mountainside and the connection that the people have with their home. Readers who are about to embark on a new stage in their lives may connect with Miri, who is searching for her true self and how she fits in with the world she knows. There are also subplots of romance and importance of family connections, which will capture many readers. Girls who are different than their peers and feel like they can’t make a difference will especially find Miri’s tale appealing.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newberry Honor Book
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.”
BOOKLIST: “Hale nicely interweaves feminist sensibilities in this quest-for-a-prince-charming, historical-fantasy tale.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This would be a great book to use for Reader’s Theater
*Readers can discuss the importance of being different and how everyone can make a difference. *Other books by Shannon Hale:
Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days. ISBN 1599900513
Hale Shannon. River Secrets. ISBN 1599902931
Hale Shannon. The Goose Girl. ISBN 1582349908