Sonderbooks Book Review of Princess Lessons

Reviewed May 25, 2003.
HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2003. 15 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (JF CAB).

Cute and fun! Princess Lessons purports to be by Princess Mia Thermopolis of The Princess Diaries, telling her readers how to look and act like a princess. Different characters from the books take different sections. For example, Paolo provides tips on beauty and hair. I like his suggestions for a principessa’s hair. It must be clean, it must not be in her eyes, and it must not take more than fifteen minutes to style. “Why this last rule? Because unless you have me, Paolo, to style your hair for you every morning, principessas have better things to do than mess around with your hair. . . . Leave the worrying to me, Paolo! Because I, Paolo, am an artist.”

Besides beauty, there are tips on etiquette, fashion, character, education and the mysterious world of guys. Tips like how to wear a tiara may not ever be needed by the average reader, but there are some other useful items like the etiquette of thank-you notes. The whole thing is light and fun, and the voices of the different characters (sometimes contrasted with Mia’s own opinions) keep it entertaining. Chesley McLaren’s illustrations add the perfect touch.

Reader comment: Alison gives this book five stars with the comment: "I suggest all little girls, teenagers, and even adults to read this book. It is very informative. From dressing respectfully, to proper titles. This book covers all of the etiquette without actually taking princess lessons."

Reviews of other books by Meg Cabot:
Princess in the Spotlight
Princess in Love
Princess in Waiting
Princess in Pink
All-American Girl

For adults:
The Boy Next Door
Size 12 Is Not Fat
Every Boy's Got One

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

****Princess Lessons*

by Meg Cabot