The Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot


ISBN: 9780380978489
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 10+
Reader’s Annotation: Mia likes her life just fine thank you very much. She certainly does not need her father showing up, telling her she is the Crown Princess of Genovia and messing with her whole life!
Summary: Mia Thermopolis is a normal 14 year old girl who spends too much time with her best friend Lilly obsessing over her crush Josh Richter. She lives with her mom in a flat in New York and regularly visits her divorced dad in Genovia every summer. All this changes when her dad reveals that he is more than a politician in Genovia, he is their crown prince – and upon learning that he can no longer sire children, that leaves Mia as the new reigning Princess of Genovia. Add to this scenario reporters, publicity, and a slew of wanna-be friends and Mia is at a loss of what to do with this new information. Thankfully, her parents are understanding, and while it takes Lilly time to come around to the idea Mia does receive full support from the people in her life. Along the way she also manages to snag the perfect boyfriend, not the guy she thought, and meet new friends.
Evaluation: This is a fast and fun read that many will enjoy. Given its popularity as a movie, many teens will find themselves comparing the book to the film and enjoying the many differences and similarities.
Author Info: The first in the huge Princess Diaries franchise
Booktalk Ideas: What problems would you have if you suddenly learned you were a princess?
Challenges:
Selection: I finally got around to reading it!