Many of you are probably laughing right now. What!? A guy reading a book that deals with princesses and has princess in the title? Of course, there have been books like "The Princess Bride" that have captured widespread audiences, but this isn't the type of action book to elicit that. It is, however, a Newbery Honor book, an award given to books that contribute great things to children's literature. I have a personal goal to read all the Newbery Medal books and as many of the Honors as I can because I believe that the values promoted to children should also be promoted to adults. If children need it growing up, we could probably use a reminder now.
And let's just say I'm enough in touch with my feminine side to enjoy a story about girls wanting to be princesses, and manly enough to not care what others think about it.
Anyway, to give a rough synopsis of this book, Miri is a girl living on Mount Eskel, a remote and poor territory of the kingdom where they mine linder from a quarry to make a meager living. She struggles with wanting to work at the quarry along with the other girls, but her dad won't let her. She feels like an outcast. This year, however, the chief delegate of the kingdom arrives and makes a surprise announcement: it has been foreseen that the next princess will come from Mount Eskel and so, in order to prepare, a princess academy will be formed in order to instruct the eligible girls and prepare them to meet the prince.
What we find in this book is an encouragement towards education, understanding, and sticking up for others. We find girls who start off in competition learning to get along. We find courage, creativity, and empathy. I'd say this book is primarily character driven with Miri at the center of it all. She really is an admirable character and she learns many things along the way.
There's a tiny bit of fantasy mixed in with the plot, but not so much as to get in anyone's way. The majority of the occurrences are events that could still happen to our children as they're growing up, or children elsewhere in the world who come from more impoverished backgrounds.
So are there some things are are probably geared more towards a girl audience? Perhaps, but other than the idea of a princess, most of this book is applicable to all who read it. We all have dreams that we would do anything to achieve and awakenings along the way.
This is a really good book I recommend it to all, regardless of age or gender. You can make fun of me for reading this book if you want, but first, read it yourself.
P.S.
Other Newbery Honors that I've read:
Hatchet
The Blue Sword
Enchantress from the Stars
The Black Cauldron
My Side of the Mountain
Charlotte's Web
Newbery Winners I've read:
Holes
The Giver
Number the Stars
The Hero and the Crown
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
A Wrinkle In Time
Who can argue with the awesomeness of these books?
This was a great one, I loved it too, even though the title was a put off at first.
ReplyDeleteRight. There's almost no way I would've bought it at a book store normally. Then I got a Kindle (not to replace hardbacks (I will never replace hardbacks), but just for travel) and it was on sale for 3 bucks. Done. And I'm very glad I did.
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