The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate

One of the things that I love most about this series is the idea that anyone can become a hero no matter how rough around the edges you might be. In this fifth book in the series, the Princess Magnolia finds herself up against a rather tricky foe. As she travels to visit Princess Sneezewort in a neighboring kingdom, a monster has, unknown to her, hitched a ride on her carriage. As she and Princess Sneezewort enjoy their 'playdate' the monster attempts to eat several pets in a park nearby. Naturally, the Princess in Black rushes to the rescue, but this time she gets help from a surprising source. Princess Sneezewort, having read an article about the Princess in Black, is determined to be a hero, so she dons a disguise and rushes off to help as the Princess in Blankets. But the monster is particularly tricky and can change his shape. Only by working together, using their own unique talents, can the two princesses defeat this monster. Once again, the Hales have written a delightfully funny and adventurous story about following one's own path. Pham's illustrations are gorgeous and complement the story beautifully. A truly winning series that is bound to be loved by young readers.

My niece loves this series. She's 4 and a half and really enjoys having chapter books (that we read to her). You can get a little breathless when she says, "again" at the end but it's a pretty fast read to do the whole book. I also wanted a comic book starter book for her since I love comics and this was recommended. It isn't written in panels, but it does have that superhero dynamic. Plus, a million extra points for having a female protagonist! The writing is also fun and quirky. There's usually a word choice or phrase or two in each book that makes me laugh. She laughs even more. It's also fun to shout, "EAT GOATS!" Try it next time you're in an elevator with strangers.

The headline say it all. My 7-year old granddaughter is a voracious reader and this is her favorite series of books. In brief, these humorous and colorfully-illustrated tomes center around a princess whose alter ego is a masked, black-costumed heroine who fights goat-eating monsters which emerge from a hole in the earth.

I bought this book for my 7 year old, 1st grade, granddaughter. I was visiting for a week and she begged daily to read with me. She finished the book in 5 days. My grandma heart is over the moon! Another reader has been born! The key take aways from the reading teacher are: easy to sound out words that follow the rules, this particular book is great for practicing ea says e. Engaging text that made my granddaughter laugh. It really helps if you like what your reading. Just the perfect amount of sight words. Fabulous pictures, her 4 year old brother like to sit close so he could see the pictures. He loved looking for the hiding monsters. Shannon Hale thank you!

My two girls (8 and 6) love these books. Fun, engaging stories. My 8 year can quickly read through them and they’re great for my 6 year old to practice her reading skills.

Great series of books. Know a good number of young readers who love them.

Very cute series. My 6 year old can read the whole book in one sitting. She doesn’t want to put it down. Can’t wait for books 7 and 8 to come out. I’ve recommended it several times and they fall in love with these books too. Also look into Diana Princess of the Amazon’s

My 7 year old first grader LOVES these books. They are so fun inside with colorful pictures, the writing isn’t too small and the stories keep her wanting to read more. She reads each book in about two nights, And begs me to get her the next one. I ended up buying the whole series on here because she was so excited to read the next book once she finished one of them. I was so excited to see her so excited about reading and not wanting to put down these books.