Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Princesses learn to be heroes in fun science fair romp.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE SCIENCE FAIR SCARE, Princess Magnolia enters the Interkingdom Science Faire for the first time and finds her four princess friends among the contestants. "She was all set for a monster-free day." But Tommy Wigtower had added some monster fur to the volcano project he built, and that caused a goo monster to grow inside it. Suddenly his volcano says "EAT SCIENCE FAIR," sending kids screaming and scattering in fear. Princess Magnolia changes into her Princess in Black costume, and with the help of the other princesses, bashes the goo monster and transports it to the goat pasture, where it finds a home underground in Monster Land. Turns out it just wanted to fit in and have a home.
Is It Any Good?
This lively adventure delivers a sweet message about fitting in and what it takes to be a hero in a STEM-friendly setting with a goofy goo monster. The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare mixes a little monster bashing with some creative problem-solving and teamwork by the five princess friends. The Princess in Black shows the other girls they already have what it takes to be brave and strong and get the job done.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the science fair projects in The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare. What's fun about science? What kind of project or experiment would you like to do?
Some of the kids' projects are inventions. What invention would you like to make?
Princess Magnolia's princess friends want to be heroes and have disguises and secret names. What would your hero outfit and name be?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : LeUyen Pham
- Genre : For Beginning Readers
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publication date : September 24, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 96
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, 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