Review by New York Times Review
OVER THE PAST decade or so, storybook princesses have gotten a worse rep than even the Koch brothers. I remember when, a few years ago, my own 3-year-old took her copy of "Polite as a Princess" to the playground and I begged her to stuff it in the cover of a New Republic. She would not. But now, two new books have arrived that just might make it safe to wave your princess flag again in public. In M.A. Larson's "Pennyroyal Academy," for middle-grade readers, a young girl in the throes of a "memory curse" finds herself in the forest, clad only in a frock made of spider webs. She makes her way to Pennyroyal Academy, a school for budding princesses and knights. These are not the kind of princesses who demonstrate their princessosity by feeling the sting of a pea beneath several mattresses. No, these girls are measured by their ability to fight the encroaching armies of (scary and creepy) witches that are threatening all the kingdoms. They are not trained to sit idly, batting their eyelashes, but to embody the "four core values" of Courage, Compassion, Kindness and Discipline. Comparison to the Harry Potter series seems inevitable: There's a school; a special student who appears to be orphaned; nasty, upper-crust kids; some magic; and the dark shadows of evil forces. But I am prepared to argue that "Pennyroyal Academy" is worthy of the matchup - it's ridiculously compelling, and I hope it's followed by several sequels. The debut novelist M.A. Larson hails from the world of "My Little Pony," where he is a writer on the TV show and a frequent presence at events for "Bronies" - boys, teenagers and grownups who are into "My Little Pony." In the way that Bronies co-opted a formerly girlie form and made it unisex, Larson plays here with princesses as rescuers, not rescuees. He's taken on the notion of a young girl unsure of her past who has to define herself, not by her heritage or legacy, but by her instincts; she gets to decide who she is. Evie (a name she acquires, as she can't remember her given name) is a complex character who deals with the twists thrown at her with wit, style and bravery. Larson, a gifted, evocative storyteller, infuses the plot with Brothers Grimm allusions. A "house mother," for example, tells Evie that after her own mother died when she was a child, her father married a "dreadful woman, and her dreadful daughters became my stepsisters." In this version of Cinderella, though, she tried to figure out what made them so hateful, and eventually one became her best friend. "Pennyroyal Academy" is one of those books you want to parse out and make last. It is a breathtakingly exciting novel, and Evie deserves a special place in a new pantheon of capable, feisty and, yes, admirable literary princesses. For younger readers, there's "The Princess in Black," in which the husband-and-wife team Shannon Hale and Dean Hale ("Rapunzel's Revenge" and "Calamity Jack") bring to life another unexpected royal character: Princess Magnolia. By day, she is a tiara donning, hot chocolate sipping, scone eating, pink dress wearer. But when an alarm sounds, she dons black tights and a cape and becomes the Princess in Black. Her job: to fight monsters who forget to stay in Monster Land and wish to eat her friend Duff's goats. Meanwhile a nosy duchess is trying to discover her secrets. Will she make it in time to stop the monsters? Of course! This charmingly told book has lovely old-fashioned illustrations and a great message: You can't judge a princess by the color of her gown. JULIE KLAM'S most recent book is "Friendkeeping: A Field Guide to the People You Love, Hate, and Can't Live Without."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [November 2, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Properly pink Princess Magnolia is having cocoa and scones with Duchess Wigtower when her glitter-stone ring signals a dangerous beast at large. Quickly excusing herself, she secretly slips into black garb to become the Princess in Black, off to do battle with a hungry blue monster. Assisted by Blacky, her trusty steed, she executes several ninja moves (including the Princess Pounce and the Hornswaggle Hop), decisively hog-tying her prey. But Magnolia worries that the nosy duchess may snoop, unmasking her secret identity. Meanwhile Duff, an unassuming goat, appreciates the PIB's talents, and he dreams of one day becoming the Goat Avenger. The authors of Rapunzel's Revenge (2008) and Calamity Jack (2010), writing here for a slightly younger audience, successfully turn the treacly princess genre on its ear, offering beginning readers a clever, adventurous, and self-reliant heroine who is equally at home in black or pink. Pham's watercolor-and-ink illustrations, rendered in the style of the Disney classics, effectively contrast Magnolia's identities and emphasize the text's humor. Clever details (Duff and his goats eat popcorn on the sidelines as they watch the PIB do her thing) and short manageable sentences make for a promising and sure to be wildly popular new series debut.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With her cherubic face, gold curls, sparkly tiara, glass slippers, and meringuelike pink-on-pink ensemble, Princess Magnolia seems the epitome of a prim and perfect princess. But she has a secret life, one that involves donning a stylish black costume and defeating monsters (who are more goofy than scary, truth be told) that threaten her kingdom. The Hales (Rapunzels Revenge) drop narrative breadcrumbs throughout the story, setting up subsequent titles in the planned series, and they build comic tension by alternating scenes of the masked princesss monster-fighting with ones starring Duchess Wigtower, who Princess Magnolia has left waiting back at her castle, and who has a fondness for uncovering secrets. The Princess in Black hoped the duchess would not snoop, ends chapter six, as the heroine is seen tying up a furry blue monster. The duchess began to snoop, begins chapter seven. Pham (A Piece of Cake) offers little jolts of energy and wit on every page, with full-page and spot illustrations that have the vivaciousness and irreverence of contemporary animation. Ages 5-8. Authors agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. Illustrators agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-In this atypical princess story, the refined and frilly Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with the proper Duchess Wigtower when suddenly the monster alarm sounds. As readers quickly find out, Princess Magnolia is actually the Princess in Black. She dons a black cape and ninjalike outfit to fights the monsters that come from Monster Land. Her superhero identity is top secret; Duchess Wigtower must not find out. While the Princess in Black wages battle, Duchess Wigtower snoops around her castle, always looking for evidence of the princesses' imperfections. Meanwhile, Duff the goat boy suspects the true identity of the Princess in Black and considers helping her. The colorful illustrations on each page help move readers through the story as the heroic princess saves the day. The action-packed text in this beginner chapter book will enthrall and is ideal for independent reading or reading aloud. The ending leaves readers with just enough of a wink to hint at a future installment. Give this engaging read to fans of "Bink and Gollie" (Candlewick).-Nancy Jo Lambert, McSpedden Elementary Frisco, TX (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Perfect Princess Magnolia has a secrether alter ego is the Princess in Black, a superhero figure who protects the kingdom! When nosy Duchess Wigtower unexpectedly drops by Princess Magnolia's castle, Magnolia must protect her secret identity from the duchess's prying. But then Magnolia's monster alarm, a glitter-stone ring, goes off. She must save the day, leaving the duchess unattended in her castle. After a costume change, the Princess in Black joins her steed, Blacky (public identity: Frimplepants the unicorn), to protect Duff the goat boy and his goats from a shaggy, blue, goat-eating monster. When the monster refuses to see reason, Magnolia fights him, using special moves like the "Sparkle Slam" and the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Smash." The rounded, cartoony illustrations featuring chubby characters keep the fight sequence soft and comical. Watching the fight, Duff notices suspicious similarities between the Princess in Black and Magnoliaquickly dismissed as "a silly idea"much like the duchess's dismissal of some discovered black stockings as being simply dirty, as "princesses don't wear black." The gently ironic text will amuse readers (including adults reading the book aloud). The large print and illustrations expand the book to a longish-yet-manageable length, giving newly independent readers a sense of accomplishment. The ending hints at another hero, the Goat Avenger. Action, clever humor, delightful illustrations and expectation-defying secret identitieswhen does the next one come out? (Fantasy. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
