Biblio File, Children's Literature @ NYPL
Hip, Hip, Hooray for National Princess Day! Chapter Book Edition
Hip, hip, hooray! November 18 is National Princess Day! Originally created in 2017, National Princess Day is still relatively new to our calendars, so we want to help get the word out with some recommended reading to inspire all of our princesses-in-training!
A true princess is kind, confident, brave, and true to herself, regardless of whether she lives in a castle or a tiny, old attic. In the immortal words of Sara Crewe, the heroine of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic, A Little Princess:
“Whatever comes… cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.”
Published in 1905, Burnett’s A Little Princess follows the precocious and imaginative Sara Crewe, the only daughter of a wealthy businessman, sent away to a boarding school for privileged young ladies. Soon after, her father dies of a mysterious illness and simultaneously loses all of his money. Orphaned and penniless, Sara must work as a scullery maid at her school under the watchful eye of the cruel headmistress. Eventually, Sara's fortunes are restored (through a series of events involving a stereotypical magical POC that has not aged well), but regardless of her financial status she maintains her kindness.
Despite how hard the world tries to bring her down (and boy does it try!), Sara maintains her dignity and kindness, proving that it is not money nor social class that make a princess—it is her inner strength and the quality of her heart. This is an absolute must-read for any young princess-in-training, and the fantastic film adaptation by Alfonso Cuarón is a brilliant watch for the whole family.
In the spirit of A Little Princess and National Princess Day, we have gathered a list of recommendations to help ensure your princess-in-training grows up to embody all the aspects of a true princess: kindness, individuality, courage, fierceness, and the strength to stand up for herself in the face of adversity! For the younger princesses, be sure to check out our recommended princess picture books!
A Little Princess: On Page and Screen
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett; cover illustration by Anna Bond; illustrations by Margery Gill
Ages: 9+
When kindhearted Sara Crewe arrives at Miss Minchin's boarding school, she seems just like a real little princess. Then a sudden misfortune turns her life upside down, and Sara is banished to the school's dreary attic and must work for her living. It takes all of Sara's imagination and a little bit of magic to turn her misfortune around and prove she is, at heart, a little princess.
A Little Princess (1995) directed by Alfonso Cuarón
All Ages
After an exotic childhood spent in India, young Sara Crewe finds herself in New York, immured in Miss Minchin girls' school as her father sails off to World War I. When he is lost, a severe reversal of fortune ensues. Thanks to him, Sara knows that "All girls are princesses…even if they wear rags or are not pretty or smart." Summoning all the qualities of a true princess, patrician and bereft Sara uses her creativity and sense of self-worth to spin magic dreams that sustain her during her time of trials and tribulations.
Princess Chapter Books
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale; illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Ages: 5+
Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when… Brring! Brring! The monster alarm! A big blue monster is threatening the goats! Stopping monsters is no job for dainty Princess Magnolia. But luckily Princess Magnolia has a secret—she’s also the Princess in Black, and stopping monsters is the perfect job for her! Can the princess sneak away, transform into her alter ego, and defeat the monster before the nosy duchess discovers her secret?
Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible, written and illustrated by: Ursula Vernon
Ages: 8+
Harriet Hamsterbone is not your typical princess. She finds the royal life rather… dull. One day, though, Harriet's parents tell her of the curse that a rat placed on her at birth, dooming her to prick her finger on a hamster wheel when she's twelve and fall into a deep sleep. For Harriet, this is most wonderful news: It means she's invincible until she's twelve! After all, no good curse goes to waste. And so begins a grand life of adventure with her trusty riding quail, Mumfrey… until her twelfth birthday arrives and the curse manifests in a most unexpected way.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Ages: 8+
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince will choose his bride from among the village girls.
The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Soon, Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Winning the contest could give her everything she ever wanted—but it would mean leaving her home and family behind.
Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
Ages: 8+
Political upheaval sends Princess Tilda fleeing from her kingdom in the company of two hopeful dragon slayers. The princess never had any interest in chasing dragons—the pain from her crippled foot was too great, and her dream was to write a book. But the princess finds herself making friends with magical horses, facing the Wild Hunt, and pointing a sword at fire-breathing dragons. While doing things she never imagined, Tilda finds qualities in herself she never knew she possessed.
At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers
Ages: 9+
One terrifying night in 1848, a young African princess's village is raided by warriors. The invaders kill her mother and father, the King and Queen, and take her captive. Two years later, a British naval captain rescues her and takes her to England where she is presented to Queen Victoria, and becomes a loved and respected member of the royal court. Illustrated with historical photographs and drawings, this is an extraordinary story of royalty on two continents, colonialism, race, class, and identity.
Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Warrior of the South by Laurence Yep
Ages: 9+
In 531 A.D., a fifteen-year-old princess of the Hsien tribe in southern China keeps a diary which describes her role as liaison between her own people and the local Chinese colonists, in times of both peace and war.
Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles Book One by Patricia C. Wrede
Ages: 10+
Meet Princess Cimorene—a princess who refuses to be proper. She is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart… and bored.
So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon. And not just any dragon, but Kazul—one of the most powerful and dangerous dragons arounds. Of course, Cimorene has a way of hooking up with dangerous characters, and soon she's coping with a witch, a jinn, a death-dealing talking bird, a stone prince, and some very oily wizards. If this princess ran away to find some excitement, it looks like she's found plenty!
The Hero and the Crown by Robin Mckinley
Ages: 13+
Although she is the daughter of Damar's king, Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Both in and out of the royal court, people whisper the story of her mother, the witchwoman, who was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her to get an heir to rule Damar—then died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son. But none of them, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future, for she is to be the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword…
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker.
Annie, younger sister of the princess who would be known as Sleeping Beauty, is immune to magic and stays awake when the rest of the castle falls into an enchanted sleep, then sets out to find a way to break the spell.
The Princess Rules by Philippa Gregory ; illustrations by Chris Chatterton
Princess Florizella was friends with some of the princesses who had studied the Princess Rules, and behaved just as the Rules said they should. Florizella thought their hair was lovely: so golden and so very long. And their clothes were nice: so richly embroidered. And their shoes were delightful: so tiny and handmade in silk. But their days bored her to death... Instead, Princess Florizella rides her horse, Jellybean, all over the kingdom, having adventures of her own.
Princess Graphic Novels
The Courageous Princess Vol. 1: Beyond the Hundred Kingdoms, written and illustrated by Rod Espinosa
Ages: 7+
Once upon a time, a greedy dragon kidnapped a beloved princess… but if you think she just waited around for some charming prince to rescue her, then you're in for a surprise!
Princess Mabelrose may not be the fairest of the land, but she has enough brains and bravery to fend for herself in a fantasy world of danger and adventure! From a mighty dragon with an army of trolls to a tyrant tiger king, Mabelrose meets each challenge with pluck and intelligence, winning the help and friendship of the many kindred spirits she encounters in her quest to find her way home.
Princeless Vol 1.: Save Yourself, written by Jeremy Whitley; art and colors by M. Goodwin; letters by Jung Ha Kim ; edits: Shawn Gabborin
Ages: 8+
Princess Adrienne is tired of being locked in a tower, waiting around to be rescued by a prince. She escapes from the tower with the help of her guardian dragon, Sparky, and with her plucky sidekick Bedelia, sets off on a quest to rescue her sisters who are suffering the same fate.
Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill; edited by Ari Yarwood; designed by Fred Chao
Ages: 10+
When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet, as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They'll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress with a dire grudge against Sadie. Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what happily ever after really means and how they can find it with each other.
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