66th out of 4,982 books
—
21,943 voters
Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)
by
Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, an...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
April 17th 2007
by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
(first published January 1st 2005)
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So the latest books I’ve read … I haven’t exactly enjoyed. I mean, I do finish them and everything, so they must have been okay, but it’s not like I was ever reaching for my book multiple times a day, binging on pages. I’ve kind of missed that.
But all that changed with Princess Academy! Seriously — I loved this book.
(I should probably only admit this through the relative anonymity of the Internet. Seriously … Princess Academy? What am I, eleven?! Oh well.) :-)
...more
But all that changed with Princess Academy! Seriously — I loved this book.
(I should probably only admit this through the relative anonymity of the Internet. Seriously … Princess Academy? What am I, eleven?! Oh well.) :-)
...more
HT Goodwill
rated it
Recommends it for:
Women and girls from the age of adolescence and up, those who enjoy adolescent fiction
Shelves:
children_and_adolescents
Overall, the book was well written and appropriate for a young adolescent audience. It was certainly not written for someone in my demographic!
I enjoyed a number of aspects of this book and also a few disappointements. Specifically,
1) The resolution of the primary conflict (who gets to be the princess) felt too much like a plot-device (I can't say more without giving away the ending) that the author threw into the story to avoid a painful conflict between the characters...more
I enjoyed a number of aspects of this book and also a few disappointements. Specifically,
1) The resolution of the primary conflict (who gets to be the princess) felt too much like a plot-device (I can't say more without giving away the ending) that the author threw into the story to avoid a painful conflict between the characters...more
Tatiana
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who love fairy tales and children's books
Shelves:
2009,
fairy-tales
Sometimes you just want to take a break from endless angst and sexual tension of currently popular both adult and YA books and read something light and inoffensive. "Princess Academy" is an excellent choice for this purpose. Although this is an obviously children's book, it is not silly or overly simplistic. The fairy tale is very imaginative and teaches many valuable lessons (importance of education is among many of them), but never in a preachy way.
I thoroughly enjoyed t...more
I thoroughly enjoyed t...more
The linder quarries on Mount Eskel make for hard labour, but the villagers who mine it wouldn't trade their life for anything. The linder stone takes skill to extract in whole blocks from the mountainside, and its qualities enable them to converse without speaking.
Fourteen year old Miri wants nothing so much as to join her father and older sister in the quarry. But she's small, and her father has forbidden her to set foot in the quarry. Instead, Miri tends the goats; teases her child...more
Fourteen year old Miri wants nothing so much as to join her father and older sister in the quarry. But she's small, and her father has forbidden her to set foot in the quarry. Instead, Miri tends the goats; teases her child...more
An interesting title that I chose because my twelve year old refused to let me read the copy she'd borrowed from her BFF.
This Newbery Honor book is the tale of Miri Larendaughter, misunderstood and misunderstanding, a girl who loves her mountain home and family, harvesters of a rare, marble like rock called Linder.
A prophecy is made that the Prince's future wife will come from their home, and all the girls from 13 to 17 are rounded up and forced to go to school under an a...more
This Newbery Honor book is the tale of Miri Larendaughter, misunderstood and misunderstanding, a girl who loves her mountain home and family, harvesters of a rare, marble like rock called Linder.
A prophecy is made that the Prince's future wife will come from their home, and all the girls from 13 to 17 are rounded up and forced to go to school under an a...more
(warning: spoilers)
Ok, so I hate it when people hype up a book so much that there's no way you can ever enjoy it. That's what happened to this book. Everyone told me I would love it so much, and so when I read it I was, I couldn't help but be...disappointed. It was good, don't get me wrong! I enjoyed it. I read it fast, it was a book that I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. But I found it to be very predictable and it felt very confining. She mentioned that the...more
Ok, so I hate it when people hype up a book so much that there's no way you can ever enjoy it. That's what happened to this book. Everyone told me I would love it so much, and so when I read it I was, I couldn't help but be...disappointed. It was good, don't get me wrong! I enjoyed it. I read it fast, it was a book that I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. But I found it to be very predictable and it felt very confining. She mentioned that the...more
I love Shannon Hale - and get sucked right in to her books from the beginning. This book is certainly no exception.
I'm trying to remember though - I have read a book similar to Shannon Hale's style - it was about a girl stuck up in a tower with her maiden. Does this book sound familiar to any of you? If so, can you remind me of the author? I'd like to check out more of those books.
Nevermind...I just found it. It's called Book of a Thousand Days and yes, it is writt...more
I'm trying to remember though - I have read a book similar to Shannon Hale's style - it was about a girl stuck up in a tower with her maiden. Does this book sound familiar to any of you? If so, can you remind me of the author? I'd like to check out more of those books.
Nevermind...I just found it. It's called Book of a Thousand Days and yes, it is writt...more
I think this may be my favorite Shannon Hale book.
The writing style is very much like her other YA books (Goose Girl, Enna Burning, & River Secrets). Also it shares the "speaking" theme.
What I love most about Princess Academy is the growth the characters experience. Miri began as a scrawny quarry girl who didn't know her place in the world. She developed into a brave, intellegent girl who knows her heart. The road of growth is deep in plot and emotion whic...more
The writing style is very much like her other YA books (Goose Girl, Enna Burning, & River Secrets). Also it shares the "speaking" theme.
What I love most about Princess Academy is the growth the characters experience. Miri began as a scrawny quarry girl who didn't know her place in the world. She developed into a brave, intellegent girl who knows her heart. The road of growth is deep in plot and emotion whic...more
This book was such fun. Who hasn't dreamt about being a princess at least once in their life? I loved the characters and it was just a sweet story. I am looking forward to reading more of Shanon Hale's books.
Ammi
rated it
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Ammi by:
no one
Shelves:
best-book-ever,
favorites
This is the greatest book I've ever ever ever ever read. It takes place a longggg time ago in Scandanavia and it is so like real life it's scary. It very interseting, a book you can't put down.
This book is really seriously a great one!! I love how there is so much to the story and how you never want to put it down!!!
I LOVED this book. The title makes it sound more like a fantasy fairy tale, but the book is so far from it.
Nicole
rated it
Recommends it for:
lowly commoners who want to be princesses
Recommended to Nicole by:
my conscience
Shelves:
it-s-ok,
ending-lacked-something
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Juli
rated it
Recommends it for:
fans of nontraditional fairy tales (or, you know, anyone who can read.)
Recommended to Juli by:
Katie O'Neill
The main character is Miri (named for a moutain flower), who lives in the poor mountains of a rich kingdom. None of the mountain people can read or write, and their only source of income is a product of the mountain itself, which they have to mine, and they're dependent on traders who come from the lowlands with basic goods to swap for the precious mountain stone. The king's priests determine that the prince's future bride will come from Miri's mountain village, so all the eligible young girls...more
Kisahnya simple, tentang gadis gunung yang berhayal menjadi putri pilihan pangeran. Sebenaranya sudah banyak kisah-kisah putri dan pangeran dengan versi yang berbeda-beda, namun entah kenapa cerita fantasy seperti ini masih saja menarik hati saya untuk membacanya.
Kisah berawal dengan mendeskripsikan kehidupan di sebuah desa terpencil di kaki gunung Eskel. Satu-satunya mata pencarian penduduk desa itu adalah mencari batu Linder yang digunakan untuk mendirikan bangunan-bangunan di kota...more
Kisah berawal dengan mendeskripsikan kehidupan di sebuah desa terpencil di kaki gunung Eskel. Satu-satunya mata pencarian penduduk desa itu adalah mencari batu Linder yang digunakan untuk mendirikan bangunan-bangunan di kota...more
Nola
rated it
Recommends it for:
Young adults, girls
Recommended to Nola by:
Sesika
Shelves:
fiction-fantasy
After hearing a number of people recommend Shannon Hale's The Princess Academy, I couldn't resist trying it out myself. I found it to be a delightful read, perfect for children and young adults, and rather engaging even for us 'big people.' More than your average fairy-tale, the novel creates a protagonist that exceeds the usual boundries.
The premise of the novel is fairy-tale typical. When the priests of Danland determine that the prince's bride will come from the slopes of Mt. Eskel, a...more
The premise of the novel is fairy-tale typical. When the priests of Danland determine that the prince's bride will come from the slopes of Mt. Eskel, a...more
Jacqueline (Notes from the Nerdette)
rated it
Recommends it for:
those who are trying to discover who they really are—whether a preteen, teenager, or adult
Recommended to Jacqueline (Notes from the Nerdette) by:
Amazon.com
Everyone who has been or is a teenager has to admit it: one of the most trial times of your life is in your mid- and early teens. If you think about it, these are the times when you have the most conflicts in your life--those with family, friends, neighbors, and probably the greatest, with yourself. Young adult fiction writer Shannon Hale takes a look at these same conflicts. Though the main character of the novel Princess Academy lived in an entirely fictional, made-up time and place, she faces...more
Literary academics love to debate definitions. When did the Victorian era of literature really start? To which nation should an ex patriot’s writing be accredited? What is young adult fiction? Stephenie Meyer, one of the most recently popular young adult authors, noted her opinion that young adult books merely have young adult protagonists, while adult books have adult protagonists. That may be true, but YA plots also usually involve some kind of bildungsroman.
Princess Academy is no ...more
Princess Academy is no ...more
I've been reading this to my 8.5 year old daughter at night before bed. She is eating it up - and I am too. In fact - I read ahead just to see what happens. . SHHHHHHHH.
Though the title is appropriate, I'm afraid that some people will not pick up this book because they think it is froofy and shallow. . 'Tis not. The protagonist is a real, rich character with an inner life and traits both admirable and unfortunate. The world she lives in is believable and complex economically and soc...more
Though the title is appropriate, I'm afraid that some people will not pick up this book because they think it is froofy and shallow. . 'Tis not. The protagonist is a real, rich character with an inner life and traits both admirable and unfortunate. The world she lives in is believable and complex economically and soc...more
It was cute that when I read and finished the book we were on our road trip to Utah. all the mountains around were quite the setting. Of course we're staying this week at Quarry Lane. I will try quarry speech with the rock wall on the patio.
(And we drove through Badlands right after I read "Peace like a river", kind of freaky to drive the same road.)
I think she does well creating intensity, just enough to be entertaining for adults but not too scary for younger ...more
(And we drove through Badlands right after I read "Peace like a river", kind of freaky to drive the same road.)
I think she does well creating intensity, just enough to be entertaining for adults but not too scary for younger ...more
My friend Chris Dufort LOVES this book. He is has every bit of Princess Academy merchandise that he can find. He told me that he has read this book 5 or 6 times. I took him up on it and I liked it.
Evan
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those wanting intelligent fairy tales
Shelves:
youngadult
This is a great book. Imagine a fairy tale that doesn't need magic, just intelligence, and can say something about both people and societies.
Quick setup: Palace oracles determine that the next pricess of the land will be from some allegedly podunk rural mountain village. The kingdom therefore sets up a school to educate all the young girls in the town, so the next princess will be able to handle her position. This is a pretty simple premise, but the combination of a wonderful mai...more
Quick setup: Palace oracles determine that the next pricess of the land will be from some allegedly podunk rural mountain village. The kingdom therefore sets up a school to educate all the young girls in the town, so the next princess will be able to handle her position. This is a pretty simple premise, but the combination of a wonderful mai...more
This book taught me that doing the wrong thing for the right reason is very hard. This book is great for adventurous people.
I loved this book. I thought the premise interesting, and it did turn out to be a great story, but it had so much roundness and depth beyond the interest of story and setting and character. The exploration of the need to belong, the value of accepting differences and working together, of doing good to those who have not treated us well, are all explored here. Mis-communications and misunderstandings, struggles with self worth, and feelings of being unloved and left out, and the resolutions of...more
I really enjoy Shannon Hale's writing. It's lyrical and spirited and fun. This story gives a great commentary on the importance and power of education.
This children's book was so good that I read it in only a few hours! The heroine, Miri, is clever, spunky, and very funny: she reminds me of other strong heroines in children's fantasy classics: Ella in Ella Enchanted, Elionwy in The Prydain Chronicles, and Aerin in The Hero and the Crown. The culture is fascinating and well developed in this book, making the fantasy seem that much more real. Shannon Hale's commentary on education, friendship, teamwork, home, and family were very worthwhile. I l...more
REVIEW
It is clear to me why Princess Academy was chosen as a Newbery Honor Book. This is one of those rare books that has it all – a compelling story, likeable characters, a unique setting, and an unexpected ending. Oh, what an amazing book!
What first seems to be a typical fairy-tale about a poor girl becoming a princess is anything BUT a typical fairy-tale. There is WAY more to the story. I don’t want to give away the plot, so let’s just say that Miri learns much more than how to be a princ...more
Princess Academy
Written by Shannon Hale
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books
2005
Fantasy
In Princess Academy, Shannon Hale has created a wonderful world of fantasy and a heartwarming story of family and friendship. More advanced readers will enjoy Hale's ability to tell a story in poetic language, "she did nit care who knew the secret that made her chest tight and her head as light as seeding weeds in a breeze" (158). The village of Mount Eskel co...more
Written by Shannon Hale
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books
2005
Fantasy
In Princess Academy, Shannon Hale has created a wonderful world of fantasy and a heartwarming story of family and friendship. More advanced readers will enjoy Hale's ability to tell a story in poetic language, "she did nit care who knew the secret that made her chest tight and her head as light as seeding weeds in a breeze" (158). The village of Mount Eskel co...more
Barky
rated it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I read this book to preview it for my daughter - a precocious reader who is reading well beyond her grade level. I'm trying to "guide" her towards books at her reading level that aren't too heavy topic wise since at age 7 she's just not ready for the heavy stuff yet.
I think this will be a great book for her - the main Character is Miri, a girl who is not allowed to work the town's mine with her family and she doesn't know why. She feels left out and alone. Then one day a...more
I think this will be a great book for her - the main Character is Miri, a girl who is not allowed to work the town's mine with her family and she doesn't know why. She feels left out and alone. Then one day a...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Acadamy | 60 | 84 | Feb 07, 2012 11:45am | |
| Would you rather be a lowlander or a Mountain person? | 16 | 15 | Jan 27, 2012 01:12pm | |
| I loved this book | 19 | 114 | Jan 17, 2012 06:05pm | |
| What are your favorite books that Shannon Hale wrote? | 5 | 32 | Aug 11, 2011 07:09pm | |
| Dishonesty Rewarded | 19 | 244 | May 14, 2011 05:47pm | |
| YA Book Club: Initial Reactions | 30 | 116 | Jan 16, 2011 09:35pm | |
| YA Book Club: Other Books? | 16 | 63 | Mar 16, 2010 11:58am |
Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels: the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, multiple award winner Book of a Thousand Days, and the highly acclaimed Books of Bayern series. She has written three books for adults, including the upcoming Midnight in Austenland (Jan. 2012), companion book to Austenland. She co-wrote the hit graphic novel Rapunzel's Reveng...more
More about Shannon Hale...
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“I keep thinking about a tale my nurse used to read to me about a bird whose wings are pinned to the ground. In the end, when he finally frees himself, he flies so high he becomes a star. My nurse said the story was about how we all have something that keeps us down.”
—
167 people liked it
“There you go...let it all slide out. Unhappiness can't stick in a person's soul when it's slick with tears.”
—
154 people liked it
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