Newbery Honors (2006): Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale is a wonderful tale, especially for those readers who enjoy the prospect of a fairy tale in a realistic context. It is a fantasy story that takes place in a quiet mountainous town of Mt. Eskel. Miri, a 14 year old girl, is not eligible to work in the quarry like the rest of the mountain people. Instead, she is responsible for maintaining her home for her sister and father.

Life in Mt. Eskel was quite uneventful, until one day when a group of noblemen arrive from below the mountain to whisk away all the girls in the village, as the high priest had a vision of the next princess coming from the town of Mt. Eskel. The villagers are unversed in the ways of noble lifestyle and many are uneducated, so it is determined that they will establish a Princess Academy to teach the girls about manners, lady-like ways, and relevant educational material.

Miri and many other townspeople are not excited by the prospect of enrolling in the Princess Academy. It means leaving her family behind to learn tasks that would be otherwise irrelevant to her life on Mt. Eskel. It is required by law however that every age appropriate girl enroll.

Upon their arrival, Miri and the other girls meet their head teacher, Ms. Olana, who is quite strict and punishes the girls often for any inkling of disobedience. Through their struggle, Miri learns to work with and trust the other village girls and they find that they are bound by their heritage from Mt. Eskel. They are even able to defend themselves against robbers who threaten them in exchange for leverage against the noble court.

Hale does an excellent job of developing Miri into a likable and identifiable character. The story also carries a heavy theme (of friendship, loyalty, community and teamwork) that permeates through time and space. Hale also includes a great amount of detail and description, which creates a real page turner. Overall, this is an enthralling read for any advanced child reader. While the text is particularly catered towards a female audience, the action, suspense and character development would likely appeal to any reader.

I especially loved this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down because I was anticipating what would happen next. Miri is also quite an admirable character who I found myself rooting for throughout the text! This is a great read that is really catered to a female audience, particularly those who enjoy fairy tales.