Review by Booklist Review
After growing up surrounded by yaks and warriors, Princess Grace dives (rather clumsily) into life at Tall Towers, an academy for princesses run by fairy godmothers. Her upbeat personality makes it easy for her to make a couple of good friends and shake off constant jeering by her mean-spirited cousin, Princess Precious. Grace finds her confidence when she excels in riding her handsome unicorn, Billy, who is just as goofy as his new human partner. All of those antics lead up to Grace facing the challenge of representing her school at a big jousting tournament. The story touches upon working hard, dealing with bullies, being a good friend, and finding inner grace by helping others and being kind. The easygoing narrative takes place over a full school term, with delightfully silly cartoons peppered throughout, sometimes taking up a full page. Similar in tone and visual style to Jeffery Brown's Jedi Academy series, this comical story about an unconventional princess will likely appeal to fans of Shannon and Dean Hale's The Princess in Black (2014).--Pino, Kristina Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-This first book in a series features princesses both traditional and nontraditional. When Grace arrives as a first year student at the Tall Towers Princess Academy, she doesn't quite fit in. She is clumsy, messy, and unconcerned with the usual "princessy" ways. Most of the other girls make her a figure of mockery, though her two roommates see past her awkwardness to the good, funny, creative person inside. The Fairy Godmothers who run the school reflect the students' differing opinions of Grace. Reluctant readers who like a little princess power will devour this book, relating to its messy protagonist and chuckling at the supporting characters, such as Grace's unicorn, Billy. VERDICT Grace is no precious or pretentious princess. Values such as honor, true friendship, and bravery shine through in this light but enjoyable read.-B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA © Copyright 2016. 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 Horn Book Review
Clumsy, messy Grace is in her first year at Tall Towers Princess Academy. Although she is bullied by her nasty cousin Precious, Grace's cheerful, optimistic outlook wins her friends and a unicorn named Billy. Readers who like their princesses spunky and glittery will look past the obvious messages and the predictability of Grace's awkwardness. Plentiful black-and-white illustrations are amusing. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In her awkward first year, white Princess Grace faces challenges at Tall Towers Princess Academy.Grace is the 13th princess in a class that traditionally has 12. Her cousin, blonde Princess Precious, is horrified that clumsy Grace is even allowed to attend. But Grace passes the unicorn test if a unicorn picks a princess (an eyebrow-raising allusion to the unicorn/virgin myth), the princess stays. With numbing predictability, Grace trips, rips, and bumbles her way through lessons: how to curtsey, how to ride her unicorn sidesaddle, how to care a great deal about external appearances. Grace feels out of place; not because, as readers might hope, she sees how repressive all this is, but because she is not good at it. Racial diversity is included in Scott's illustrations, although whites dominate in both numbers and leadership positions. Narratively, stereotypes, like a low-grade fever, pervade: diminutive Izumi is talented and hardworking, while Latisha is "sporty." A proper princess, the girls are taught, is graceful, elegant, courteous, and selfless. The final scene hopes to be empowering but only manages to emphasize gender-role stereotypes as Grace is praised more for helping the (male) knight out of his distress by secretly volunteering in his place than for winning the joust.As a story to teach girls that their proper roles are as appearance-conscious, selfless helpmates, it succeeds insidiously. (Fantasy. 8-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
