 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Valentine Princess: A Princess Diaries Book
- By Meg Cabot
- Genre: Coming of Age
Common Sense Media says
V-Day romance fluff for Princess series fans.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there's prolific mention of name brands, usage of teenage jargon "like" and "she was all," and discussion of first romantic encounters. There are references to sidecar drinks, flat and big-chested girls, losing virginity on prom night, and kids using the drug Ecstasy. While this book appeals to younger tweens, the princess' teen issues are a better fit for readers 12 and up.
What's the story?
Sixteen-year-old Princess Mia is sitting in her limo about to travel to Genovia for the summer. That's when she discovers her journal from one and a half years ago and finds the section about Valentine's Day with her boyfriend Michael. He does not believe in the holiday, while she finds it a special time to express how she feels about him. Friends offer input, agreeing and disagreeing. In the meantime, her Princess lessons with her Grandmere have stopped as her Grandmere has developed a friendship with a mystic Dr. Steve and has disappeared, except for appearances on talk shows.
Is it any good?
Hugely successful author Meg Cabot has cornered the market on writing for female tweens, having created a character that is very relatable as a gawky high school student yet fulfills young girls' fantasies of being a princess. This volume in the series is also written as journal entries. In VALENTINE PRINCESS Mia is actually rereading a diary from a year and a half before her first Valentine's Day with her boyfriend Michael.
Mia's a good kid at heart with strong morals and resistance to peer pressure, but there's not much here in the way of substance or tough challenges for her to face, making her a less relatable and engaging character and this series less meaningful. Overall, this is fun fluff that will be hard for readers to put down.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Valentine's Day -- what is this holiday about? Is it a means for card companies to earn money or are there meaningful, cost-free ways to observe it? Even though Mia is a princess, how is she still relatable to readers? Why does Mia keep a journal? Parents can point out how the process of journaling helps kids make sense of events in their lives -- a valuable tool during the tumultuous tween/teen years.
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AGE
Wounderful!
It is a wounderful book and that's pretty much all that to it ,its awesome!
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AGE
Anyone 12 and Up
I read this book before, and I have to say a warning to parents that have younger kids interested in this book. THE MOVIE DOES NOT HAVE THE INNAPROPRIATE PARTS OF IT! This book was made into a Disney movie, but although the movie is rated PG. The book has more dirty language, and some sexual references.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 12, 2010
AGE
For Middle School Kids
I loved this book! It was an amazing read, and read every single book in the series! Love this book; love Meg Cabot! This book is very good but more of a middle school book.
~Sydney
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Kid, 11 years old
January 1, 2011
AGE
Perfect for tweens and teens
I LOVE IT!!
BUT!! i can't believe in the store they it 8+!!!!
I mean, I read number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, AND 8
and in number 8 it's ONLY about sex!! my 8 year old sister is reading number 1!! i cannot believe once she arrives at there, she'll start getting interested.
great book but there should be some strict rating.
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AGE
More of a middle to high school read...
I wouldn't let kids read this until they're in middle school. In fact, this applies for the entire series. It has obvious sexual content and talks about being a virgin, having sex. Not to mention, Mia complains a lot about being flat chested.
The drinking happens sometimes in this book. It mentions drug use and things similar to that.
No one should read this until they're in middle school. It wouldn't be appropriate.
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AGE
Not a good book for anyone under 13
The books are great, infact I read all of them.
But if you don't like your kids reading books that talk about sex and being a virgin, it's probably not a good book to let your kids read.
The only problem is the book puts down the thought of being pure...The Grandma in the story is a little rude, and does smoke/drink.
Although, it's a fun book, that any girl will probably enjoy reading, Mia is a strong character who is surrounded by good friends.
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Kid, 12 years old
July 20, 2010
AGE
I loved the series! Totally a tween kind of a book.
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AGE
Funny... funny... hoo... haa... :>)
I really liked this book because it was humorous. I found it suitable for my age and it was fun to read.
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AGE
TPD Fan
I just like the movie,thanks to disney,they (disney) make this book to kids appropriate movie.
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| Topics: | princesses and fairies |
| Author: | Meg Cabot |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Coming of Age |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | December 1, 2006 |
| Number of pages: | 96 |
| Hardcover price: | $8.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 12 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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