DESCRIPTION #9

There's trouble under the sea! Can the Princess in Black and her new mermaid friend put a stop to a big blue kraken's shenanigans?

The Princess in Black and her friends are enjoying a day of sun and sea on Princess Sneezewort's royal boat when a real, live mermaid princess emerges from the waves! Eeeeeee! Princess Posy needs their help protecting her very cute sea goats from being eaten by a very greedy kraken. But the princesses and the Goat Avenger quickly realize that fighting underwater can be tough for land dwellers, and only the mermaid Princess Posy can save the day. Can the masked heroes help her learn that being a princess means more than just being nice--it means speaking up? An ode to using your voice (along with a kelp-tree swing or two), this newest installment in the New York Times best-selling series is a splish-splashing good time.

Recommended ages 5-8

DESCRIPTION #10

When plans for a ball run a-fowl, Princess Magnolia accepts the help of a valiant new hero to save her secret decorations--and the entire evening!

Princess Magnolia is at the Flower Festival prepping for the evening ball when suddenly she hears a commotion. Oh no! She isn't prepared to fight a monster or . . . a grumpy emu! To her surprise, a knight in shining armor comes to the rescue, but not before the princess's prized decorations are stomped on and destroyed. Luckily, the gallant Prince Valerian has his own secret identity--the Prince in Pink--and has been yearning for a chance to show off his special skills, with the help of some twinkle-twinkle and major glam. Glitter has been restored, but then the angry emu returns--with friends! Can the party heroes step up to save the day again? Expect the unexpected as this sparkling new entry in the New York Times best-selling series takes the floor with a flourish.

Recommended ages 5-8

DESCRIPTION #11

The Princess in Black may know how to handle all kinds of monsters, but a kitten set on destruction? Me-OW!

Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives' worth of problems. Eeeeek! It's time for someone else to deal with this catastrophe. Princess Magnolia is thrilled when a kitten lands on her doorstep, but just as she's about to play with Plumpkins (or should it be Hugmaster Floof?) the monster alarm goes off. When Princess Magnolia returns to her castle, her furry companion has carved up the wallpaper! In fact, each time Princess Magnolia leaves to help the Goat Avenger fight a very grouchy monster, her feline friend wreaks havoc. Has the Princess in Black finally met her match? Ten years after she first donned her cape, the Princess in Black returns for a purrfectly hilarious entry to the New York Times best-selling series.

Recommended ages 5-8

ABOUT THE AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATOR

Shannon Hale and Dean Hale are the award-winning husband-and-wife team behind the Princess in Black series, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Shannon Hale is also the author of the Newbery Honor Book Princess Academy as well as the New York Times best-selling graphic novels Real Friends and Best Friends, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Shannon Hale and Dean Hale live in Salt Lake City, Utah.

LeUyen Pham is the illustrator of the Princess in Black series as well as many other books for children, including Love Is Powerful, Pat-a-Cake by Mary Brigid Barrett, God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams, Aunt Mary's Rose by Douglas Wood, and Real Friends and Best Friends by Shannon Hale. LeUyen Pham lives in California

REVIEWS

They’ve done it again! In this ninth installment, the Hales have brought back all the elements young readers love about the “Princess in Black” series—heroes in disguise, hungry monsters, imperiled goats, and ninja skills—but this time, they’ve set their story underwater, added a mermaid princess, and included a powerful message of speaking up to help others. . . young readers will eagerly dive into this latest series adventure.
—School Library Journal (starred review)