From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

Title: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess
Author: Meg Cabot
Series: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess
Recommended for: Grades 2-5
Pages: 182
Call Number/Link: J FICTION CABOT, M.

Synopsis: Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a completely average twelve-year-old: average height, average weight, average brown hair of average length, average brown skin and average hazel eyes. The only things about her that aren’t average are her name (too long and princess themed), her ability to draw animals (useful for her future career as a wildlife illustrator), and the fact that she is a half-orphan who has never met her father and is forced to live with her aunt and uncle (who treat her almost like their own kids, so she doesn’t want to complain). Then one completely average day, everything goes wrong: the most popular girl in school, Annabelle Jenkins, threatens to beat her up, the principal gives her a demerit, and she’s knocked down at thebus stop. Until a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up to invite her to New York to finally meet her father, who promptly invites her to come live with him, Mia, Grandmère and her two fabulous poodles. Maybe Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison isn’t so average after all!

Review:  I can start by saying that I have read all of the Princess Diaries books and just about everything else that Meg Cabot has written.  I really enjoy her funny and snarky characters.  Although Princess Olivia is a lot more innocent and trusting than her other protagonists, I liked her too. Olivia is also biracial, which is something I like to see in book characters.  This is a really cute story with a lot of similarities to the original Princess Diaries series, but since it is written for a younger age group, it wasn’t a problem for me. Meg Cabot has also just released a new Princess Diaries book,  Royal Wedding (an adult book, Mia is 26 now)  which tells the story about Princess Mia finding out about Olivia while planning her wedding to long time boyfriend Michael.

I am looking forward to other books in the Princess Olivia series and I would recommend for girls who still like princesses or looking for a good girl book.