Who Was Princess Diana?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Ellen Labrecque, Who HQ Who HQ, Jerry Hoare (Illustrator)

Learn how Lady Diana Spencer became the People's Princess as she takes her place in the ranks of the Who Was? series.

A shy twenty-year-old girl stepped out of a horse-drawn coach and into the world spotlight, capturing the imagination of millions as a real life fairytale princess. Although the storybook marriage didn't have a happy ending, Diana learned to use her fame as a way to champion charitable causes near to her heart. She became the People's Princess by humanizing the image of the royal family and showing care and concern for all people, including the homeless, the sick, and others in need.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Middle Grade, Biography Memoir, Historical

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Diana was about as complex a human being as one could envision. She's also a person who seemed to suddenly leap above and past the difficulties and tragedies of her life to assume a far larger identity; an identity large because of the enormous, positive impact she had by her words and her actions. Those public factors were backed up by the countless personal notes she penned to people in distress, especially children, to let them know of her continuing support. Her astonishing natural beauty and sense of style were in obvious contrast to the pre-Ball Cinderella who we learned had existed inside the Royal Family.After her divorce from Prince Charles, we saw the butterfly emerging from her cocoon, the Princess who didn't need the Prince at the Ball in order to be part of a magnificent story.

As William married his Kate and they became parents, the profound changes in how future Royals would be raised - and the public with whom they would be in much closer relationship - grew evident. Consider William's ease among people of all sorts and conditions vs. his father's stiffness, Kate's love of grocery shopping and cooking dinners for friends close since their days at St. Andrew's, if one needs evidence.

How could some of the the grace, style, growth, maturation, and essence of "The People's Princess" be condensed into a book for young readers, I wondered. How could the example of a life transformed in front of us, in turn transforming others, be written so as to be observed by readers not yet old enough to grasp her importance - far beyond her title and relationships?

Safe to say this is a book which young readers will not only enjoy, but will put before them the same kind of challenge in the story told by many of the so-called fairy tales. This challenge will be twofold: first, to enter into the struggle with their own frailties and the move past the ill that happened in their lives; second, to then reach out in service to others to improve their lives. It's a profound challenge, and one which this book ably conveys.

[Bookreadaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last  week I have met Princess Diana

 in my 2/18 book in 2018

Title: Who Was Princess Diana
Author : Ellen Labrecque
Rating: 8/10
Pages: 112 pages
Genere: biography  series

Content: This New York Times Best-Selling Series goes into the life of the famous  people Princess  Princess Diana from breath to her tragic  death.

 What I liked: I loved the cover, the drawings and the simple language .You get to know the shy 20 year old princess and exprience the real life fairy tale upclose and personal. You get to find out about the inspiring humantarian and care giving  Diana and how she used her fam to shed  light on causes close to her  heart. I cried and laughed with  the heart warming anecdotes. I fell in love  with Lady Di. Her humblness, simplicty and kindheartedness is so inspiring and touching. I felt a deeper connection with the princess on that level. I am at a loss of words  to how amazing she is. The world has lost a Diamond but her love and presence   surperpasses any existence, time  or place and that is the IMPACT of a HUMANITARIAN.

what I disliked:   it was very short. simple . It  omitted necessary information about her personal life . I wanted to know more  gripping details  about her.

lesson learned
Treat everybody as an individual and never throw your weight around
Bought from : @mrbabuonline

Recommend it to children

[Shontel Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to my daughter! Absolutely great information on a wonderful woman who was always caring for others!

[하요진 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 4/5
I was very touched by how down-to-earth she was, even though she is royalty. She made constant visits to hospitals, elderly homes, orphanages et cetera. She also refused to be tied down as a princess and taught her sons to be kind to people around them. It is no wonder her death brought so many people to tears.

[Emma Leake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Princess Diana is one of the most well-known people in the world. This book is a story about the 20-year-old princess' life and how she made a lasting impact on so many people. Princess Diana was poised and princess-like, but she was also easy to relate to for many women, and many looked up to her as a role model. Princess Diana was able to create and help charities that supported the sick and the poor, and she was known as the "People's Princess." Although Princess Diana died back in 1997, her impact on many nations is something that will last for many generations to come.

Evaluations:
I personally love Princess Diana, and I was really excited to read this book and learn about her life. I did not know how much she gave back to the community, and it was interesting to read about how she got where she was and also the difficulties that she faced as a princess. I would definitely include this book in my classroom library because it is informational and an interesting read.

Teaching Idea:
Although there is no standard on Princess Diana, you could still use this book as a classroom read aloud. Also, it is nonfiction, and it would be a great way to help students understand that nonfiction books look differently, and there are different types of nonfiction. A reading strategy lesson could be used with this book as well, and also just a read aloud to fill time in the classroom is when I could use this book.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The information was very good and very descriptive.

[kayla elledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars because I like learning about princesses

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know the exact date when I read it, but I read it in one day (a day my sister and I went to the park to read with my aunt). This date is a guess. It was super good and told the story of Diana’s life really well.

[Victoria Buseck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read "Who Was Princess Diana?" because I have always been fascinated by the information I knew about Princess Diana before reading this book but had never read a detailed biography about her life. The “Who Was” book series in general, although written by a variety of different authors, generally do a wonderful job at creating an easy read for early learners, while additionally being interesting, informative, and presenting an ideal summary of a life that is impressive to effectively summarize in just over 100 pages - this particular biography, "Who Was Princess Diana?," is no different.

I was immediately pulled in by the layout displayed on the back of this book. Exhibited on the back of this book, in multiple choice form, are three interesting facts about Princess Diana, with the last multiple-choice option - “all of the above” - having a checkmark next to it. Not only did I find this tactic creative, but the facts presented here made me excited to indulge myself into this book, eager to discover the additional information I would learn about Princess Diana from reading this biography.

While reading this biography, I noticed multiple different aspects that would make "Who was Princess Diana?" an effective literary tool to employ in a grade school classroom, specifically during a Social Studies unit on monarchies, important leaders of other countries, or the characteristics a leader should possess. The first of these noteworthy literary qualities is the implementation of side summaries included in this biography, that provide short yet informational descriptions of the unfamiliar people, places, and activities mentioned throughout the book. This feature will help a young reader understand the book’s context and not become confused about the story line due to lack of knowledge about these notable pieces in the life of Princess Diana.

An additional aspect I enjoyed about this biography was that it included quotes from both Princess Diana herself, as well as quotes about her, said by the people that once knew her. In my opinion, this structure gives the reader an authentic view of Princess Diana and her life.

In summary, this biography does a marvelous job at telling the story of Princess Diana’s life in a timeline of events from growing up with separated parents while studying at boarding school, to meeting and later marrying Prince Charles - becoming the new Princess of Wales, rolling into the intimate details of raising her two sons, her incredible charity work, and lastly, her tragic death, which this book paints a vivid and emotional picture of for its engaged audience.

[David Rough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Di was not only in the news constantly, but she captured the hearts of many as a real, modern-day princess. She had this rather shy demeaner in the early years of her public life and you could see the unhappy struggles on her face during the later years of her short life. This concise biography does a nice job walking young readers through the rise and untimely fall of this young woman destined for fame and a life in the public eye.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved about this series is the simplistic way each person's story is told. Especially this story which ends in a tragedy. I really adore this series

[Aries Djangmah-Yeboah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the author put lots of information while adding funny pictures to it at the same time!

[Plainsboro Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellen Labrecque’s Who Was Princess Diana? turned out to be an interesting first encounter with one of the most well-known women in history. Targeted at younger children audiences, the book illustrates cultural evolution and modernity in chronological order including significant events in Princess Diana’s life in very neat and helpful language and illustrations that make difficult issues easy to understand. For people who don’t know much about her, it is in fact a pretty good place to begin, especially for young primary school children. In addition, the book does emphasize major events very well but unfortunately does not provide some insight into some of the awful events in her life. There is a bit about her work, about her public image, and about her marrying into a royal family, but there is simply no mention of her further hesitations, or how she battled with mental health issues, how the media focused on her life like vultures eyeing a prey, or how horrible her death was. These sections of her narrative are of paramount significance in appreciating who exactly Princess Diana was, but they are only covered lightly. For an older audience, or more skilled enthusiastic readers who are familiar with Diana’s legacy, the book shall seem as if certain details were cut out, the details that are boring, hard, and sad which underpinned her greatness.

Who Was Princess Diana? is a great read for younger readers curious about the “People’s Princess,” but for those seeking a more complete understanding of her life and legacy, this book may leave you wanting more.

Tithi Mehta, Grade 10

[Alix Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography of Princess Diana was a WOW book for me because of the intricate details that described Princess Diana's life. In this book, author Ellen Labrecque was not afraid to steer away from sugarcoating a "fairytale" lifestyle that wasn't always a fairytale for Diana. Not only did the book describe major events in Diana's life, but it also showed special excerpts within the text to describe more in depth events that readers may be unfamiliar with! Some examples of the excerpts included information about the Spencer family tree, the Althorp house, Finishing schools, polo, the order of succession, and so much more! This book teaches you how selfless Diana was as she struggles through hardships, but continues to do good work for others. I was able to connect with Diana as we both experienced loss in the past, but that did not stop us from being positive and trying our best to help others that we encounter in the future. These books can be utilized in 3rd-5th grades as it explores many aspects of historical figure's lives.

I would definitely utilize many of the "Who was/is" biography books in my future classrooms! This one in particular would be a great resource to show students that some things are not always as it seems, therefore, they should think about multiple perspectives when researching and learning about different topics. I would utilize this book by comparing it to another book that represents Princess Diana's life as a magical fairytale and have students compare and contrast the two. Afterwards, students could write up a reflection on which book seems more realistic to them, while using facts from the book as evidence. Another idea would be for students to choose one historical figure from the "Who was/is" series. After reading, they can find similarities and differences between their life and their historical figures life. Then, students would create their own autobiography about themselves, while including the similarities of their original historical figure.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who was Princess Diana? By Ellen Labrecque is a book level 6.0

Summary: This book highlights Princess Dianas life and her tragic death and how much it affected everyone.

Classroom Integration: This book does a great job of displaying conventions, they have short sentences and long sentences. It has great punctuation, dialogue and so one. Since students could already be doing a piece about a famous person that has influenced them this could align with that learning piece quite well. I would read this book aloud giving students an idea of another person they could use to research and a different way to highlight someone. Since they are already creating a piece I could point out the conventions and how well they did with it to make the book more interesting. Students could then go back and edit their own writings to make it more interesting for the reader to read with great conventions.

[Leah Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that all of the Who was/is books are so informational. I learned so many new things about Princess Diana. I did know that Princess Di was from a wealthy family, however I did not know they were from nobility, or that their family was incredibly close with the royal family. I also did not know that Diana was such a caring woman who devoted most of her life to doing charitable work. She used her platform to promote kindness, love, and giving. She was the first royal woman to bring her children with her on trips across the world with her husband Prince Charles. She did not believe that having a nanny raise her children was acceptable, and I love that about her! She loved being a socialite, which eventually led to the separation and divorce between herself and Prince Charles. Princess Diana was and amazing woman who should be celebrated for all of the wonderful things she accomplished before her untimely death.

[Meaghan Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade Level: 2nd-5th

The "Who Was" series is a great way to introduce students to biographies. This book in particular did a great job of explaining to students the amazing life that Princess Diana led while also providing ample and understandable background knowledge necessary to understand the story. The book explains Princess Diana's life starting from her upbringing throughout her marriage with Prince Charles and her tragic death. The book used kid-friendly language and provided further learning opportunities whenever an unknown person or topic was brought up.

This book would be easily read independently or for read-aloud for students in grades 2nd and up. Specifically, this book could be used to launch a lesson on students writing biographies about others or an autobiography about themselves - including specifics such as word choice, tone, and formatting. The book could also be used as a social studies connection to British royalty.

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She worked hard at being kind.” This book is a classy biography for a classy princess who had a tragic ending. I appreciated so much about this book, from the clear respect that the author had for Diana to the British audiobook reader, Imogen Church, who did an excellent job. I did not know very much about Princess Diana before listening to this book, but now I feel as though I can appreciate her legacy more while feeling sad that her sons lost her when they were so young. While a small word count of this might be considered to be political or mature topic-wise for a children’s book (discussion of a disease that others had/ have without giving details), it does not make up very much of the overall book. The book focuses on Diana’s immense amount(s) of charity and humble acts of kindness that were previously not seen from nobility in that capacity.

[Elise Haroldson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I snuck another "mini-biography" between novels for a little light reading. (Sometimes I am still processing a book - and not ready to dive into a new story!) Princess Diana's death happened when I was in high school (age 15) and it was one of those moments in history you remember.

I felt this book did a good job honoring Princess Diana and handled the hard things from her life (her parent's divorce, her unhappy marriage/divorce, premature death) delicately and tastefully. The focus on her humanitarian efforts was my favorite part.

One more thing I have forgotten to mention that I adore about these WhoHQ books is the delightful illustrations. My son is taking an art class - and I showed him these great "pencil" drawings.

[Jesquick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diana es una de las figuras de la realeza que siempre me pareció encantadora desde su forma de ser hasta su entrega hacia las personas más necesitadas.
Su vida se apagó muy rápido pero vivió muchas cosas. Desde mi punto de vista fue una mujer increíble que le encantaba la moda y a la misma vez no tenía ningún problema en ir a visitar a las personas enfermas.
Su casamiento fue como de cuento de hadas, es una pena que su vida de casados no fuera así.
Esta breve recopilación de los sucesos de la vida de la princesa Diana están acompañados de imágenes, es una edición muy llevadera y fácil de leer sin dejar de lado de que la historia de Diana es una de las más apasionantes de la realeza para mí.

[Heather Shembarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable quick read biography on Princess Diana. The book does an excellent job making the reader realize what a quality person Diana was. She was kind and compassionate and a very good mother. I did not realize she was only 20 when she married, and I also did not realize what an age difference there was between Princess Di and her husband Charles. Even though the story ends sadly, it was interesting to read about just how many people attended her funeral and how her ex-mother-in-law even had good things to say about her. Different charities she started or supported still exist today and continue to do humanitarian services.

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...she was at her best when she was looking after others."

This quick read looks at the life of Princess Diana and highlights what she "did" as Princess of Wales -- caring for the people, meeting people at eye level, with open arms, A hand shake or a hug and a smile. She used her title, and visibility to draw attention and publicity to causes she felt were important and in need of attention. HIV/AIDS, and Land Mines being among them.

Princess Diana didn't get her fairytale ending, yet she managed to get a generation to dream, and hope alongside her, and inspired millions to reach out and help others.

[Paige]

This is a biography about Diana's life. She was born in a wealthy family, but she certainly did not behave like the sterotypical princess wealthy type. She cared about people. She was a poor student and chose not to finish finishing school. One day she was talking to the prince, and he fell for her ver quickly. He even proposed after just six months. They had an ICONIC wedding. They had two sons together. They eventually got a divorce and Diana continued doing good for the people. Unfortunately she was killed in a car accident not long after.

[Manoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and informative book about this amazing woman who made the world such a better place and who deserved so much more than what she got. As a lover of The Crown, I know a little more about why she was so sad in her marriage with Prince Charles and the belief that the royal family killed her but this book was meant for children and I’m glad it didn’t bring up any of those. I really liked how short and to the point it was and I admire Diana even more because this woman was such an angel and so kind and generous and I wish more were like her (Megan Markle reminds me of her!).

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Diana or the people's princess as most called her left an impact on so many people.. Her death was devastating and cruel! She was kind and full of grace. She has always cared about multiple causes and made sure she gave back to the community. I really do admire the kind of person she was to her people and in her personal life as a mother. I've been meaning to read a book regarding her story.. Although, I have to say, this book is pretty straightforward. So, I'd love to read something more in depth on Diana or maybe watch a documentary. Nonetheless, this was a lovely quick read.

[Gracelyn Mathias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography walks through immense details of Diana's life. It tells tales of her childhood where her and her brother would toss the nannies clothing off the balcony. It talks about how her and Charles fell in and out of love. It highlights how amazing of a person Diana was and showcases her philanthropic work. This is a great book to have in your classroom library. It would be great for a research study or a unit on autobiographies. Princess Diana was once a household name, her legacy should be remembered for young girls to look up to.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was bitter-sweet because Diana has a fairytale marriage but at the end she dies in a car accident. I enjoyed this book because Diana is a nice person who helped others. She sold some of her most precious dresses to raise money for the less fortunate. Diana was also charitable because she helped people with AIDS and cancer. I like to read Who Was books because the people are interesting. I like to read the books about powerful women.

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Biography

Copyright Date: 2017

What a bittersweet story. Princess Diana was such an inspiration. I like how she said, "I knew what my job was...It was to go out and meet the people and love them" (105). I think students, as well as all people, can take example and strive to always do good and "treat everyone with kindness and never act more important than another person" (12). Grades 3-8.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Diana was an incredible woman, that died way too young. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. This book is a great introduction into her life. It steers clear of certain heavy topics, but I imagine it to be due to the target audience being younger readers. Despite this, it is still a great book to start learning about Princess Diana and the selfless life she lived.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, my princess obsessed 5 year old loved it as well. I was young when Princess Di passed away so it was great to hear about the people's princess as an adult. My daughter loved reading about a real princess and said "she's a very nice princess." I loved how the book focuses on Diana's charitable causes and the outreach she had with ordinary people. Great read