About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

A safe community is important to us.
Please observe our guidelines.

All parent reviews for Princess Academy

Age
9
Average rating based on 18 parent reviews:
  • 56% say there are positive messages
  • 39% say there are positive role models
Parent of 6, 11, and 12 year old
January 11, 2011
 
Possitive Role Models
Great Possitive Role Model

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 9 year old
March 3, 2010
 
i absolutly hate it u suck:)

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 14 and 15 year old
February 28, 2011
 
Great Book!
Shows Miri's strength throughout the story. Great detail, and when the kids get older they should read the Books of Bayern :)

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 5, 9, 11, 13, and 16 year old
February 24, 2010
 
Daughter & I both love this book.
Great book!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
November 11, 2009
 
Love it
I love Shannon Hale and this book of hers is wonderful. Its a great fairytaleish story.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
August 5, 2010
 
Even adults can enjoy this book.
I have read this book twice for two different book clubs and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't worry about the "girl power" stuff just enjoyed a book where the main charachter has to figure out her role in life. Miri is a a typical teen young woman who has doubts in some areas and confidence in others. I loved that she came from a family that loved each other instead of the usual "family in crisis" stuff usually included in modern fiction.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 8 and 8 year old
June 15, 2010
 
Not what I expected from the title (a good thing)
In an age where "princess" almost always equals a Disney-esque rendering of royalty, I was at first hesitant about selecting this book for my two girls but am SO glad we gave it a shot. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. It also provides a great contrast to the highly commercialized princess stories/fairy tales, which often incorporate a "love at first sight" aspect to the story line and can lead to good, age-appropriate discussions about the whole "knight in shining armor" myth. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering reading it!

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
June 17, 2011
 
The book is full of negative messages that are disguised as positive ones.
I know its a weird thing to say about a book, but its very true. This book is like a how-to for bad judgement. The hero, Mirri, just having learned to read that week, decides that she now has the keys to all problem solving. She doesn't question the idea that maybe just because she has read one book she doesn't have all the answers. The best example; She doesn't understand things like demand, and supply, but she learns that this weird rock that they get from the mountain is expensive. So she now "knows" that the traders are cheating her village, and can somehow stop them. Ok? How about the cost of hauling this rock through a mountain? She has no idea what that costs the traders. She has no idea if anyone out in the wider world even wants this rock at a given time. Maybe no one even is building a palace in the lowlands. So how exactly would she be able to force the traders to change their prices? She can't take the rocks to the cities herself. Maybe the traders simple can't afford to give a better price even if the price of the rock is theoretically high. UGH. There is nothing worse then an idiot with a teeny bit of knowledge. Thats Miri in a nutshell. Worse yet, she is exactly the same with rules. Miri thinks that she is the best qualified to know if a given rule is just or not. Im sorry? Maybe I think drugs should be legal. Does that mean I can act on it? You don't just break a rule because you don't like it. Only a sociopath does that. Maybe thats a very good point actually. Miri is as shallow and as egotistical a person as I could imagine. I doubt she will grow out of it. Do not give this book to a kid. They will not learn any good lessons, and plenty of bad ones.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 11 and 14 year old
March 11, 2010
 
Not Shannon's Best Work (HORRIBLE BOOK)
Well, To start off I loved the Goose Girl and my kids really enjoyed me reading it to them at night time. It was a great book and my kids begged ne each night for just one more chapter. When I found theis book at my local bookstore on sale I literally jumped up and down like a little child with a new toy. My kids went t obed early that night just to get in at least 4 chapters before bedtime. The beggining of the book was hard to get into and very complicated for my 8 year old daughter to understand. Why was it hard? Because how is she supposed too know what Goat Cheese and Love is all about. I continued on to read the book and Not only did my kids cry but I also went to my bed and cried that night too. I continued reading and got into the book. My daughters were very impressed at how Miri was so determined to learn. I went to bed and continued reading the book to myself. The ending was HORRIBLE. Miri worked so hard to become the princess and make a better life for her family but her bestfriend gets the title as princess. I knew that I didnt want my kids to think that If you worked hard you come up with nothing. So, I wrote my own ending and rip out the last pages and replaced them with a great happy version of the goat boy actually bieng the prince, If you know your kids are not the best in History or Big words and Idioms then I suggest you read it to them and explain. My personal view of the book was one of Shannon Hale's most horrible books.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 13 year old
December 25, 2009
 
Great for tweens, and teens, and Mom's to read to younger daughters
I read this because my daughter was reading it. I really enjoyed it myself. I especially liked how they had a community with seemingly little power come together to show courage and overwhelming protection and love when needed.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 9 and 12 year old
November 11, 2009
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 11 year old
September 23, 2009
 
A great read!
Great book for girls! It has very strong characters who have morals and want to learn as much as they can.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 8, 11, 14, and 16 year old
September 14, 2009
 
My girls and I loved it!
This is a must read for anyone who likes adventure, fantasy and a little bit young love.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 13 year old
August 19, 2009
 
Satisfying ending for all!
Delightful, realistic princess story in fantasy setting.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Great story for fourth and fifth grade girls.
This book is good for fourth and up grades. Maybe third.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Must read book for 10- 12 year olds
This book was a great book! Go get this book it is super! My children loved it!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate