Publication History |
I would not normally read a book titled, Princess Academy, nor would I expect
anyone past elementary school to do so. But I’d heard great things about
Shannon Hale’s Newbury Award winning Young Adult fantasy and I was
curious enough to give it a shot.
The book surprised me.
Not because it was well-written. Hale has a critic and reader acclaimed style
that’s lyrical and relaxed. It’s easy to read and satisfying, without being
“dumbed down” for kids. It’s a book of innocent pleasures and experiences. It
is refreshing, for example, to read about the first stirrings of childhood
romances – trembling at holding of hands, stumbling beneath the gaze of the
boy next door, and mumbling lame jokes to fill in awkward moments.
Nor was I surprised because of the plot. It begins as a typical Cinderella story
centered on Miri, a misfit and runty girl who’s convinced that everyone in her
mountain village sees her as a misfit and runty girl. Along comes a royal
messenger who notifies them that prophecy has seen that the next princess will
come from their remote quarry-village. So embarrassing are their social graces
that the girls are rounded up to be educated in the ways of courtly life before
they meet the prince. Hence, the Princess Academy. At this point, the story
gains an additional dimension: the Unjustly Punished Kids verses the Unjust
Tutor, with a dash of peer bullying, a twist of adventure, and tons of
vindication by the end.
What really surprised me about Princess Academy was its underlying politics.
Miri’s village is communistic and committed to gender, social, and economic
equality. Yet, the villages are poor and uneducated, living in harsh and
dangerous surroundings where children’s dreams are limited to the glories of
mining stone. They are exploited by capitalistic traders who pay the villagers a
pittance for the linder stone that, back in the civilized lowlands, is worth a
fortune.
When the girls first get to the Princess Academy, they rebel. Then they begin to
dream – not just about wearing fancy dresses and going to balls, but how being
a princess could give them unprecedented power. They dream about
improving the lives of their families and fellows. What they eventually realize is
that the education they are receiving is useful not only in courtly life, but also
in their own lives. With the discovery of reading, and in particular a book on
economics, they realize a band of mountain girls can have a tremendous impact
and create a socialist utopia. The prince becomes little more than an after-
thought.
None of these political elements are preached in Princess Academy, although
they are clear in the background of the otherwise straightforward, “coming of
age” tale. There is also little magic in Princess Academy. The real magic is the
connection between individuals, family, and homeland; the power is education.
9 out of 10.
anyone past elementary school to do so. But I’d heard great things about
Shannon Hale’s Newbury Award winning Young Adult fantasy and I was
curious enough to give it a shot.
The book surprised me.
Not because it was well-written. Hale has a critic and reader acclaimed style
that’s lyrical and relaxed. It’s easy to read and satisfying, without being
“dumbed down” for kids. It’s a book of innocent pleasures and experiences. It
is refreshing, for example, to read about the first stirrings of childhood
romances – trembling at holding of hands, stumbling beneath the gaze of the
boy next door, and mumbling lame jokes to fill in awkward moments.
Nor was I surprised because of the plot. It begins as a typical Cinderella story
centered on Miri, a misfit and runty girl who’s convinced that everyone in her
mountain village sees her as a misfit and runty girl. Along comes a royal
messenger who notifies them that prophecy has seen that the next princess will
come from their remote quarry-village. So embarrassing are their social graces
that the girls are rounded up to be educated in the ways of courtly life before
they meet the prince. Hence, the Princess Academy. At this point, the story
gains an additional dimension: the Unjustly Punished Kids verses the Unjust
Tutor, with a dash of peer bullying, a twist of adventure, and tons of
vindication by the end.
What really surprised me about Princess Academy was its underlying politics.
Miri’s village is communistic and committed to gender, social, and economic
equality. Yet, the villages are poor and uneducated, living in harsh and
dangerous surroundings where children’s dreams are limited to the glories of
mining stone. They are exploited by capitalistic traders who pay the villagers a
pittance for the linder stone that, back in the civilized lowlands, is worth a
fortune.
When the girls first get to the Princess Academy, they rebel. Then they begin to
dream – not just about wearing fancy dresses and going to balls, but how being
a princess could give them unprecedented power. They dream about
improving the lives of their families and fellows. What they eventually realize is
that the education they are receiving is useful not only in courtly life, but also
in their own lives. With the discovery of reading, and in particular a book on
economics, they realize a band of mountain girls can have a tremendous impact
and create a socialist utopia. The prince becomes little more than an after-
thought.
None of these political elements are preached in Princess Academy, although
they are clear in the background of the otherwise straightforward, “coming of
age” tale. There is also little magic in Princess Academy. The real magic is the
connection between individuals, family, and homeland; the power is education.
9 out of 10.
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| The Princess Academy (Shannon Hale) By SC Bryce |
First Printing:
SFReader.com (Jul. 18, 2006).
SFReader.com (Jul. 18, 2006).
Second Printing:
SCBryce.com (Dec. 22, 2006).
SCBryce.com (Dec. 22, 2006).
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