- Princess Amy charms readers with her happy imagination and adventurous spirit
- she runs away to avoid being married to a stranger she doesn’t love
- convo: marriage, fairies, implied magic, prioritizing beauty over character, one quick kiss after an accepted proposal
- pretending to be a non-royal, she finds a job and lives an ordinary life until she is discovered
- language: x1 stupid
- ends with a happy ever after
Type: chapter book
Ages: 7-12
Author: M.M. Kaye
Everything about this book is simply delightful! I decided to give it a re-read when my daughter declared it was one of her favorite books (and had read it many times), and I’m happy that I did.
Right away, the foreword invites us in and sets the scene of the imaginary land of Phantasmorania. (All the characters and places have amusing such names.) Each of Amy’s older sisters is married off, one by one, until it is her turn. But why is it so difficult to find a prince who will marry her?
“…but the [other] fairy gifts had been very useful, for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world. Not that it ever worried the Ordinary Princess.”
Kaye’s descriptions of nature are simply delicious. The forest sounds heavenly and full of color. Amy’s joy in playing amidst the trees is contagious.
“The old wisteria became a ladder into her secret world…”
Amy is wise beyond her years when she thinks about one of her sister’s soon-to-be-husband:
“He may be very good looking…but I’m quite sure that he has never giggled one good giggle in his life!”
So, can you tell I’ve joined my daughter in loving this book? Heh. Definitely check it out for your young ladies if you’re seeking a good, clean princess fairy tale. I’ve known boys to enjoy the story as well. 😉