Princess Academy

By Shannon Hale

Fourteen-year-old Miri lives on a mountain where her ancestors have quarried stone and lived in poverty for generations. Then just before winter's first snowfall, a delegation from the lowlands arrive with exciting news. The king's priests have divined that her small village is the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince will come himself and chose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, where every girl of age will be sent to learn the skills of a princess. But there is no way Miri can prepare herself for what lies in store.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: May 3, 2010
• ISBN: 9781408811979

Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is best-selling author of fifteen children's and young adult novels, including the popular Ever After High trilogy and the funny, action-packed series The Princess in Black, which are co-written by Dean Hale. Shannon and husband Dean live in Utah with their four children.

Reviews for Princess Academy

[leighannejensen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I chose this book to read out loud to my daughter. Since before she was born, I have read out loud to her every single night before bed, and we really enjoy that time together. I like to read her classics, and as she gets older, she likes to hear about people having adventures. A lot of adventure stories are either about boys, or they pair a boy with a girl. It's a rare and wonderful discovery to find a book that not only has a strong solo-female lead, but is beautifully written and fun to read. That is what Princess Academy was for both me and my daughter.I really enjoyed reading about Miri. She is exactly the kind of role model I want for my daughter - someone open-minded, sensitive, driven, intelligent, kind, and thoughtful. The story itself was so enjoyable to read. My daughter was so sad to see the book end, and then she was very excited when I told her that this is actually just the first book in the series! We can't wait to get started on the second book, and are actually going to the bookstore tomorrow to pick it up. We're both really looking forward to reading more about Miri and her adventures.

[vinculus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nicely done.

[soccerrocks-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Princess Academy is the story of a girl named Miri who lives in the town of Mount Eskel. Everyone in Mount Eskel works in the linder quarries, excapet Miri, because her father won't let her. Because of this, Miri sometimes feels like she is unimportant and different. Then one day a royal messenger announces that the prince's' bride will be chosen from Mount Eskel. All the girls that areabove a certain age are sent to learn how to be a princess, at a building that becomes known as the Princess Academy. At first Miri can't wait to return as soon as her year at the academy is done, but she is brave and strong and faces the challenges that come while she is there. I really enjoyed this book. Shannon Hale is a great writer. She uses detail and makes the characters seem so real. The Mount Eskel girls are very brave and clever, Miri and Britta especially. By the end of the book, I really felt like I knew Miri. It wasn't boring, and overall I really thought it was a great book.

[jennorthcoast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a delightful story about growing up and grieving and family (and princesses); the plot is fairly predictable, but the characters are given room to grow, and not everyone is what they seem. The protagonist reminds me of a Jane Austen heroine at a younger age merged with Heidi and a bit of Jacky Faber tossed in to give her that extra punch. A fun read.

[agrudzien_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miri has grown up on the mountain, watching her family work hard each day in the quarry to provide what they can for the family. One summer, a decree is made that the next queen will come from her village and all the girls are asked to attend a "princess academy" in order to be ready for the prince's visit in a year. Far from being a fairy tale, Miri can only wait until the year is over to get back to her family and her best friend, Peter. As the prince's visit draws near, there are bandits roaming and trying to kidnap the future princess. Miri must do what she can to save the girls that have become her friends, as well as the good name of her village. I always like books that have girls who don't want to become princesses, and I especially liked the small dose of fantasy that is entwined in an otherwise parallel world-like book.

[sraval_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the detail and suspense that this book had. I cant wait to read the next one!!

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very enjoyable take on the Cinderella tale. It doffs many of the tired and more negative tropes associated with that particular story, but in a refreshing and non-satirical way (too many modern Cinderella tales go so far out of their way to put distance between themselves and the poor lessons of Cinderella that they become a parody of themself). I probably won't continue the series because I feel as though it ended in a good place, but maybe someday...

[yourotherleft_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Princess Academy is all about Miri who lives on Mount Eskel where all the villagers have to work quarrying valuable linder from the mountain to survive. Her father won't let her work in the quarry, so Miri always struggles with feeling somehow less than the rest of her townspeople, despite being clever and brave. When royals arrive from the lowlands with news that the next princess of Danland will hail from Mount Eskel, the girls of the village are taken away to be schooled, polished, and made fit for a prince. At the academy, Miri struggles at first but then finds her chance to shine. I'd heard plenty of great things about Shannon Hale's books, and if Princess Academy is any indication, they're all true. Princess Academy is tightly plotted, filled with brave, strong-willed girls for characters (most of all Miri!) who make the best of a complicated situation, and has an absolutely fantastic "knowledge is power" message that is never too heavy-handed. If you're anything like me, you might find yourself initially put off by the notion of a book about princesses in training. Don't be. This book and these would-be princesses defy expectations and stereotypes alike!

[sheilaruth-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this book on audio and the Full Cast Audio production was very well done and highly listenable, as they always are. This is the second Shannon Hale book that I've read, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. (Book of a Thousand Days). The characters are vivid and fascinating, and the mountain culture beautifully described. It certainly made me want to live on Mount Eskel! I was listening to this while exercising, and I was at the climax when I reached my exercise goal for the day - but I kept on exercising because I couldn't bear to stop listening. Thanks, Shannon Hale, for contributing to my fitness!

[carmenmilligan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very cute book. I enjoyed it and think it's a fine YA book.

[kr_patterson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Truthfully, after Book of a Thousand Days, I was disappointed.

[englisherna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just looooooooove Princess stories. This was a good one <3

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.

Great, wonderful book!! This story is magical, actually this is the 2nd time I read a book for Shannon Hale, and I want more! I love her style, she makes everything into a fairy-tale... she is a dreamer, I like that.

I loved Miri's name and meaning, This book, kind of, remind me of Heidi. I loved the story so much, I wish there was another installment, I want to read more about the mountain, the wedding in the lowlands and Miri and Peder's love and how will they marry... Please continue the story Mrs. Hale!!

P.S. I named my kitten Miri.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This Newbery Honor book is for young adults, and deals with courage and being true to yourself. I think my 13-year-old niece would really like it.

[cygnet81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a well written children's book with a good message. It is written for the younger end of the ya age group but is definitely worth reading.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ok, now that there's a sequel, it's the perfect time to reread this. And this time I liked it even more. Hale writes such original works with breathtaking grace. She nods to the traditions of fairy tales, but creates cultures and characters that are free of cliches and entirely unpredictable. Nothing and nobody are quite as we expect from other reading, but richer, more authentic, and more vibrant.

Now I have such a craving to reread the rest of her works, and even to read her graphic novels, gosh.

[akreese · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Princess Academy is an absorbing story and a fun fantasy. It was easy to become lost in Miri's story.

Miri and the other girls from Mount Eskel are forced to go to princess academy so that they can be trained in the skills and knowledge appropriate for a princess. Once they arrive at the school, they are faced with an incredibly strict teacher and harsh disciplinary measures. Between being forcibly taken from their families and being punished in ways that they deem unfair, the academy doesn't seem like a pleasant place to be for the girls. As they learn new skills though, they are exposed to new opportunities in life and even discover information that can help their impoverished mountain community.

Throughout the book there are several different areas of conflict and tension that compelled me to read. Would the girls pass their tests and be presented to the prince? Which girl would he choose? Would Miri even want to become a princess (because she's unsure of her feelings for a local boy)?

All in all, Princess Academy is a very fun young adult book. The title alone could be enough to make you think that this book is full of pink ball gowns and flirtations, but thankfully it has more substance than that. I would say that it's more of a fantasy book than anything else. There is a small element of magic to the story, and the story is set in a fictitious country and world.

I'd recommend Princess Academy to anyone who likes a good light-hearted fantasy read. If you liked reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore, then you will probably like this story (though Graceling does have a lot more fantasy elements).

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Miri is small for her age. She lives with her family in a mountain community known for its special quarried stone. Life is a struggle and things are about to get worse as girls of a certain age are forced to go to the princess academy as the king's priests have divined that the newest queen will be living among them. That's the set up of Shannon Hale's Princess Academy.While it may sound like a traditional set up for a fairy tale where the smallest, least useful member of a town goes off to charm the crown prince and become the next queen, it isn't. It's about the hardships of mountain life, about wanting to contribute to society, the frustration of not knowing the truth behind things and finally the power of education. What Miri and the other girls gain above and beyond the lessons in grace and polite society, is an education and most importantly, the ability to read.Hale uses the seasons to show the mountain in all its forms and to create a believable sense of place. She also includes folk songs and stories to build an oral history that is later enhanced and challenged by what Miri and the others learn in their studies.Although the book is set in only a small piece of the kingdom I came away with a sense of a much larger area. Shannon Hale excels at world building while keeping the story flowing and the characters developing.I listened to the audio version of Princess Academy on our drive to Southern California earlier this year. I plan to go back and read the printed version later.

[__lindsey__ · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised by this book. It's not your typical fairy tale. The focus was not on winning over a prince and falling in love. It was about how Miri used her intelligence and courage to improve the life of all her fellow mountain villagers. I think it's obvious that Miri is the true princess; it shows through her generosity, bravery, and sense of justice. But Miri still had a bit of selfishness running through her to make her a believable character.

The ending is satisfying; even though nothing outwardly spectacular happens to Miri, she becomes comfortable with her life and who she is.

In this edition, there is an interview with Shannon Hale, and I learned a couple interesting things...
Most of her character names were medieval Scandinavian names.
She imagines Danland to be on the same world that her Books of Bayern are set, just on a different continent and at a different time.

I'm glad I read this, and I can see why it is a Newberry book. I would imagine it would be appealing to more than just young girls.

[jenj5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Listened to the Full Cast Audio Playaway. This was clearly one of the first generation Playaways that our library ordered - the sound quality really is different - this was my first opportunity to really notice that. As usual with a Full Cast production, I loved it. Previously read print copy in April 2007.

[cecily2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

[3.5 stars:]

I liked this - it's not among the best YA fiction I've ever read, but better than most. The writing was good. I liked most of the characters. The plot seemed well put together.

The only thing that really annoyed me was the constant comparisons, most of which seemed sort of ridiculous:

- "Miri felt as withered as a winter carrot"
- "The music was so beautiful that it entered her with a pleasant tang, like drinking ice-melt water on an empty stomach."
- "The musicians played melodies that yearned and pleaded, as sweet as the sticky honey cakes..."
- "a sound so luscious that just hearing it reminded her of eating fresh strawberries"
- "stepping into all that color and light and music and fragrance felt like walking into an embrace"
- "The fabric felt like bathwater against her skin"
- "the sky was rich as wet soil and bluer than anyone's eyes"

(Those are only a few example - there are tons more.)

[inky_fingers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you like really fantastic magical fantasy, go read something else. It's more an adventure book than a fantasy book.

[anboggs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

14 year old Miri has lived a quiet life in the village of Mount Eskel, where generations of citizens have worked in the stone quarries. Things quickly change when it's announced that Prince Steffan of Danland will be traveling to Mount Eskel to find his future wife. Miri, who has always been kept out of the stone quarries, sees the chance to become a princess as a way to prove her worth and value to her family. As young ladies of Mount Eskel are sent to the "Princess Academy" run by the unpredictable Tutor Olana, Miri learns lessons she could never have dreamed of: reading, history, dancing, and the story of how valuable Mount Eskel is to all of Danland. Once at the Princess Academy, Miri learns just how strong and valuable she is to her family and the community around her.

[eekazimer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hale introduces each chapter with a song lyrics or poetry from quarry village, Mount Eskel, where the next princess of the land is destined to come from. The setting is clearly established in the first chapter though the lead character Miri banking the coals, hanging goat dung out to dry and adding water to the salt port. She hears and hums the songs of the working quarry men mining for linder. The story is a tightly woven tapestry with the themes of friendship, community, family, work, and education. Each theme is well developed starting from a simple observation or thought of Miri building through each chapter. Hale twists the typical image of princess from a young woman solely immersed in social graces and dances to that of young women trying to better the lives of themselves and their community. Miri

[norabelle414 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was so cute. Miri lives in a small village in the mountains, where everyone works in a quarry, gathering Linder, a valuable stone like marble. One day, a representative from the distant Capitol visits the village and announces that the Crown Prince's priests have divined that the Prince's future wife would come from this small town. As such, all village girls of eligible age will attend a newly-formed Princess Academy, where they will learn reading & writing, diplomacy, poise, commerce, etc.The girls learn all of these things and more, but most importantly they learn that they and their village are special. They learn self-respect, and how to be strong independent women. The ending is very appropriate and satisfying.The writing style was a little juvenile (though understandably so) to be 100% enjoyable to me, and my only other issue was the relationship between Miri and her sister Magda. Throughout the book Miri looks after her sister, shelters her and worries about how she's getting along while Miri is at the academy. She even goes back home one weekend to slaughter rabbits for food so that her sister won't have to see the blood. However, Magda is about 2.5 years OLDER than Miri! (Too old to attend the academy.) What gives?!Highly recommended to girls 14 and younger. Recommended to everyone else.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not bad. I disliked it at the beginning - mildly interesting world, but Miri has such poor self-esteem that I didn't like her any more than she liked herself. Then the academy - Britta's position was so clear to me I couldn't understand why Miri wasn't picking it up, but it's something she's literally never experienced, being an outsider (despite her feelings of alienation). I really disliked Olana and her tactics, and especially making this a competition. When Miri and the others began using cooperation instead, it was great. Britta's secret really surprised me - I figured she would get it, but not why. And a perfect happy ending, for everyone. Good but not great - I'm very glad I read it, I might possibly reread at some point but it's not a favorite.

[queenoftheshelf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miri has never lived outside of her quarry mining town of Mount Eskel where she always felt like an outsider. She gets the perfect way out when the Kings diviners decide that the bride of the young prince Steffan will come from her mountain town. All of the girls in the town are taken three hours down the mountain to attend the Princess Academy, where they will be taught how to be appropriate princesses. Miri flourishes in her studies, but struggles with her ties to the mountain and the opportunity to impress the prince and leave it forever. The world that Miri lives, the fictional Kingdom of Danland, is reminiscent of medieval times, with the same class struggles and difficulties. The intricacies of noble society is overlooked in favor of describing the cultural traditions of Miri's hometown, which leaves readers longing to visit this mountain retreat. Readers in grades 5-8, particularly girls, will enjoy this coming of age fairy tale.

[brittn_10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary:The Princess Academy is about a young girl who is from a small village. Her father never let her help because she was so small. One day someone came to town and announced that the prophets say that the next princess will be from this small village. All the girls are forced to go to the princess academy. While Miri is there she learns that she could help her family and village out for the better. Personal Reaction:I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone. The way I understood the story is that it is about personal discovery. I was surprised how much I really enjoyed this book. Classroom Extension Ideas 1.I would use this in the classroom in a unit about chapter books. The students would read the book and have a book report due on the book. I would want them to tell me what the book was about but also tell me what they thought of the book.2.I would use this book in a unit about Newbery Awards. I would tell the students what the award is and then read this book to them. I would have the students go out and find a Newbery Award book and read it then write a page about what they thought about the book that they picked out.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tradition gone wrong indicates that a prince must marry a girl from a poor mining village, and village girls are rounded up and taken to a remote manor to learn how to be princesses. But education provides more than smooth dance steps and elegant curtsies, the girls learn information that they might be able to stop the exploitation of their village.

[candacemom2two · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first audio book review, I think. So please bear with me. The audio was in full cast which I thought was great. It was nice having all the different voices and I found it easy to distinguish between them. I do think Miri sounded a bit young. But maybe it's just me because she is young. I just felt like she was closer to 12 rather then 14 and 15 (I'm not certain I'm remembering her age, but I'm fairly certain it was 14 and 15). The story was good. I think if I was reading it I would have been a little bored in the beginning. And later I felt like the story should be almost over and then discovered there were 2 more CD's to go! So it kind of threw me when they made the story go on with another subplot and prolonging the main plot. The subplot for that portion actually was quite good though and definitely added a good bit of tension to the story. This book has a touch of magic. And I really liked how it worked and how it ended up being so useful to them. Once the story was going I was able to figure out how it would probably play out but it didn't take away from the story for me. What was the true magic in this story was Shannon Hales use of words. She's got to be the queen of analogies. It was just gorgeous the way she weaved it all together. Seriously beautiful! I'll definitely be checking out more of her books! I have a feeling she could end up being a new favorite!