What I Like about You: Lindsey Leavitt

For some time now, traditional princess stories have been under fire:  they teach girls to be helpless and wait until their prince comes to rescue them, they give girls unrealistic ideas about love, etc.  Yeah, I get that.  But here’s what I also get:  an awful lot of girls like princess stories.  I mean really, really like them.  Maybe it’s the pretty dresses; who knows?  But something about princesses resonates with many girl readers.  Lindsey Leavitt, in her Princess for Hire series, pretty much gives us the best of both worlds:  her protagonist, a substitute princess, gets to enjoy the fun of being royal, but she also addresses the pitfalls.  It’s win/win.

What I like about Lindsey is that she’s not afraid to be fun, fizzy, and light.  A lot of agents and editors push authors to be edgy and gritty, but a good story is still a good story.  My own daughters absolutely loved the Princess series, and my middle school students were big fans of Sean Griswold’s Head.

And on a personal note, like Irene Latham, Lindsey is a friend to other writers.  She’s smart, encouraging, and upbeat…a lot like her work.

So, if you’re looking for a nice series for that daughter/niece/etc. for Christmas, consider Lindsey’s Princess books.  Perfect for elementary and middle grade girls.  The covers are so gorgeous, you’re sure to get a squeal or two when they unwrap your gift.