Author:Shannon Hale
Ages: 9 and Up
Princess Academy is a story that revolves around a small, remote village located on Mt. Eskel. Miri, a young girl of this village is not able to work in the quarry with all her friends and family. The story begins with Miri searching for her own identity and place in her world.
One day, the a messenger comes to notify the villagers that the Prince will be choosing a girl from the village to be his bride. All eligible girls are sent to attend a special school for one year known as the “Princess Academy”.
The girls face many hardships through out the school year and they miss home dreadfully. Miri discovers much about herself including the ability to “quarry speak” with others from her village. The book inter-twines each girl’s story and the tension increases as each girl competes to win the Prince’s favor.
The climax of the story occurs when the girls are kidnapped while at school. The villagers and the girls overcome their kidnappers through quarry speak and the book concludes with the Prince choosing his bride and each girl finding their own place in the world.
I was concerned when I started reading this book that it would just be another “fluffy” fairy tale but I was pleasantly surprised! I found Princess Academy to have a wonderful depth and humor and rather insightful in it’s portrayal of the challenges and triumphs that all young girls experience as they come of age and move toward finding their place in the world.
I highly recommend this book for woman of all ages!
It really is a wonderful story and no matter what age I am, I love reading a good, down to earth fairy tale! 
