Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun adventures of prince and friend in magical kingdom.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In the KINGDOM OF WRENLY series, young Prince Lucas befriends Clara, the daughter of his mother's seamstress, and the two take off for adventures around the kingdom. From looking for a lost gem, to caring for a rare dragon egg, to calming an angry sea monster (who just wants people to stop polluting the ocean), the two friends never turn down a challenge. They'll ride on ships or horses, visit trolls, fairies, and mermaids, and plead their case for more adventure with King Caleb, always looking to solve problems and improve the world they live in.
Is It Any Good?
With quick pacing and interesting adventures, these books are great for young readers. The illustrations and easy-to-follow stories make them good for reading aloud, especially for pre-readers who are bored by the plots in simpler books. As with most fantasy books for kids, The Kingdom of Wrenly Series has the usual amount of suspending disbelief about autonomy (kids are allowed to roam the kingdom on boats and land without an adult in sight) and time (Lucas and Clara visit many places in the kingdom in one day), but that dive into imagination is part of the fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Lucas is allowed to go almost anywhere in the Kingdom of Wrenly, often without an adult. Where are you allowed to go without an adult? Is there anywhere you want to go alone but aren't allowed? How do you think you can earn that privilege?
Is there a big difference between Lucas and Clara's lives? What does it mean for their friendship that she is a "commoner" and he is a prince?
What other books have kingdoms and dragons and magical beings? Why do you think we like reading and watching stories about them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Robert McPhillips
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little Simon
- Publication date : April 4, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 9
- Number of pages : 128
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate