Module 8: Fantasy and Science Fiction

Module 8/SLIS5420

Princess Academy

By  Shannon Hale

Summary:

The Princess Academy is  Fantasy book following the story of Miri.  Miri’s family and whole village is known for its quarry work that supplies the county with the special Linder stone.  However, Miri is not allowed to work in the quarry and struggles with feelings of being useless and judged by the village.  However, everything changes when it is revealed that the princes’ wife will come from her village.  Next think Miri knows, she is being taken with other girls from her village to the princess academy where maybe there she can prove to everyone she can make a difference, in the mean time dealing with a teacher who is very strict, with her emotions for a boy from the village, and an attack on the school itself. 

Citation:

Hale, S. (2005). Princess Academy. New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books

Beyond and Between:

This book is a delightful read, however because of its main characters it is definitely more a girl read type of book.  The main character Miri is fighting against her own self-doubt, the bullies at the academy, and learning how to stand up for herself, her family, and her village.  The fantasy aspect of the book is there with the possibility for Miri to learn to quarry speak, which is a way of communicating mentally through the linder stone across great distances.  However, outside of this, the book comes across as more of a realistic fiction type read where the fantasy part of the book seems to take a back seat to the rest of the story.  In the end, Miri doesn’t get the princes, but this fits the story better because she gets to use her skills and learn to value them herself in helping better her village barter with the linder tradesmen.

Reviews:

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-- The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.

Plevak, L. L., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). Princess Academy. School Library Journal, 51(10), 161

Kirkus Review

There are many pleasures to this satisfying tale: a precise lyricism to the language ("The world was as dark as eyes closed" or "Miri's laugh is a tune you love to whistle") and a rhythm to the story that takes its tropes from many places, but its heart from ours. Miri is very small; her father has never let her work in the linder stone quarries where her village makes its living and she fears that it's because she lacks something. However, she's rounded up, with the other handful of girls ages 12 to 17, to be taught and trained when it's foreseen that the prince's bride will come from their own Mount Eskel. Olana, their teacher, is pinched and cruel, but Miri and the others take to their studies, for it opens the world beyond the linder quarries to them. Miri seeks other learning as well, including the mindspeech that ties her to her people, and seems to work through the linder stone itself. There's a lot about girls in groups, both kind and cutting; a sweet boy; the warmth of friends, fathers and sisters; and the possibility of being chosen by a prince one barely knows. The climax involving evil brigands is a bit forced, but everything else is an unalloyed joy. (Fantasy. 9-14)

Princess Academy. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(14), 790.

Suggested Uses:

This book would work for a fantasy book list or book club read.  However, I like the idea of including it in a planned supplemental  program for teachers/ school librarians.  To idea would be bring in professional women across a variety of roles and positions to (2-3) to talk with the school class about what they do.  Hopefully to encourage dreams of bigger things for the female students, who like Miri don’t think they can do much.  Likewise, having the switch of this type of supplemental program for the guys as well.  In all of this bringing in books like this one, to suggest to the students to read for themselves.