I am an adult who never liked picture books as a child (I fell in love with reading in fourth grade, when I finally had the vocabulary and comprehension skills to read the more appealing "Chapter" books). I came to this book because Tyler is one of my favorite contemporary novelists, and even though I love tons of other novelists both present and past, sometimes I just can't wait for Tyler's latest to hit the stores. So, I read her children's book, and I was enchanted. The story is great, the pictures are charming, but what I liked best was the book's "Child is father of man" philosophy. Modarressi, who happens to be Tyler's daughter, has written and illustrated a number of other books: don't miss "Yard Sale!" and "The Parent Thief" and even the weaker "The Dream Pillow" is worth a look-see.

The story of Tumble Tower is hardly throw-away - Princess Molly the Messy is almost despised by her family: King Clement the Clean, Queen Nellie the Neat, and Prince Thomas the Tidy. Molly lives in the castle tower, where her room is beyond what most would considered "a bit cluttered." However, as we soon discover after the rest of the castle is flooded, even the messiest of rooms can be considered a safe, even comfortable haven. Seeing life through Molly's eyes gives the rest of her family a sense of understanding, perhaps even empathy.

While Anne Tyler's story is very nice, I found the illustrations to be far more engaging. There are hidden surprises in almost every page, and the characters are wittily, handsomely, and endearingly brought to life in a style that almost resembles the Saturday morning series "Angela Anaconda."

The kids will love having this book read to them again and again, and there's enough treasures spread throughout to make the parents most happy to oblige.

Although an avid Anne Tyler fan, I just discovered this book she wrote for children and I now number it among my favorites. I find it perfectly charming to see childhood "messiness" vindicated. My grandchildren (ages 8 to 13) thoroughly enjoy the book, too. I can tell they relate to "Messy Molly," although maintaining that their own bedrooms are never as messy as the wonderful two-page spread of Molly's room.

When some British diplomats (a little odd for a story, I must say) come to live in Stoneybrook, Mary Anne is hired as a companion. This is far-fetched but highly entertaining. Look for Princes Victoria in more books, like the European Super Special, when the BSC goes to London and visit her. Victoria is one of the most interesting child characters yet in the BSC books.

Timid, sensitive Mary Anne is baby-sitting an actual PRINCESS-a little girl who is used to being waited on hand and foot, complains endlessly about her "frightfully old" nanny, and is to put it mildly, blunt. Mary Anne does an admirable job with her and cracks her "royal" shell. I admired how patient Mary Anne was with her. While the other kids were quick to dismiss Victoria as a spoiled snob, perceptive Mary Anne saw a lonely, insecure girl who needed a lot of love. I also loved how the author interwove a subplot of Mary Anne's growing closeness with her stepmother Sharon, who misses Dawn. What a kind heart Mary Anne has to arrange that Thanksgiving surprise for Sharon. I like how close Sharon and Mary Anne have become. Mary Anne desperately needed a mother and I'm glad she has somebody as wonderful as Sharon. I wish I had a daughter or baby-sitter like Mary Anne!!!!

I bought this book for my little cousin and it is just so awesome! This book comes with a little set of fairy wings for the "fairy princess" to try on while mommy reads her this book. Kids will love it! Also, there is another book to go along with it called "I'm a Ballerina." I would definitely recommend either of these books for anyone with a little girl and a wild imagination!

I adored this book! It was a gripping read, and I could not put it down! It was such a page turner that I lost many nights sleep just to finish this truly ADDICTING novel. Run, dont't walk, to your nearest bookstore and pick this treasure up as quick as you possibly can!

This is one of the best books my five year old daughter and I have ever read. We first got it out of the library, but I just ordered it because it's a book I know we'll re-read hundreds of times. Everybody knows the Grimm's story: twelve princesses escape every night to go dancing. Their father, the king, doesn't know where they go, only that that in the morning their dancing shoes are in tatters. He offers the hand of one of his daughers in marriage to any suitor who can discover their secrets.Many try, and finally one succeeds. There are two wonderful things about this version. One is that it's clear at the end of the book that the daughter who is chosen doesn't marry the man who figured out their secret. She chooses him „ and plans to keep right on dancing after she gets married! The second great thing about this book is the illustrations, which are so beautiful, you just want to look at them again and again. More important, the princesses are all beautiful, but in exotic and interesting ways. No one size fits all Disneyesque beauties here. Each face is unique. One even wears glasses! Terrific book.

This book starts off rather slow and I was tempted to stop reading it. It's not as good as the other two, but just as vivid. You understand how one could have it all, then lose it all. NOt exactly a "feel good novel" with a "warm and fuzzy feeling".

This, the third book in the Young Royals series focuses on the life of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, and mother to the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth. From the time she was born, Anne had been the dark sheep of her family. Not only did she have a sixth finger, but she also had a black mole. Anne had neither the beauty of her older sister Mary, or the importance of her younger brother George. But with an ambition as high as the mountains, Anne vowed one day that her sister, Mary, the King's mistress, will one day kneel at her feet. As a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine in Henry's court, Anne finally begins to see her wish coming true when she finally catches Henry's eyes. Though Anne knows Henry loves her, she knows that is not enough. The people's overall hatred of her and loyalty to Queen Catherine might ultimately be her downfall. When finally she bears Henry's child, she is finally declared Queen, a title she had vied for so many years. Only one nagging issue is in the back of her mind: What if the child isn't a son? What if she fails Henry's ultimate wish to have a male heir? What would become of her...

This new edition to the Young Royals series has to be my favorite. It was quite accurate and Anne was potrayed perfectly as a girl who just wanted to prove herself worthwhile to a world that shut her out. To many Anne was the ulimate symbol of evil, but after reading this book, my opinion of her changed. She was in a tough position, but ulimately her big ambitions was also her downfall.

This book definitely will be more fitting for older readers. Doomed Queen Anne also probably appeals to an older audience than the previous two books. Definitely a great book to add to your collection.

Wow is all I can say. I have been following this series since Mary, Bloody Mary. It's real amazing to read about the mom/step-mom of the other two in the series. One nice touch was a scene exactly the same in both Anne and Mary when Mary arrives in Anne's bedchamber when she's pregnant. I liked how long the story spanned, but I wish it could have been more detailed like Mary, which was shorter in terms of years. But you abosolutly must read this amazing tale who everyone wanted to forget yet gave England one of her greatest monarchs!

Mia Thermopolis is already having a bad life failing Algebra, a mean rival, and parents that she'll never understand. But now her life takes an unusual turn when her father reveals to Mia that he is the crowned Prince of Genovia, making her a princess. Mia, faced with this revelation, is horrified -- she never wanted to be a princess, and now things are worse. The publicity is never ending -- and her grandmother insists on giving her princess lessons! Mia doesn't know how to confront this new reality yet, but she'll have to learn fast. After all, there's nothing like being a princess...especially this princess. The Princess Diaries is a witty and hilarious work written by Meg Cabot, who writes the The Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You series under the name Jenny Carroll. All who have read this funny and exciting novel should read her other works under the name Jenny Caroll -- which everyone will like. I can't wait to read the new sequel to this book, The Princess Diaries, Volume II: Princess In The Spotlight.

Well, to begin, though there are a few reviews on here saying that the book is stereotypical and prejudice, I don't see it. The book deals with daily life in Greenwich Village, New York and follows the life of fourteen-year-old Amelia Thermopoils. "Mia," as she likes to be called has a very eccentric and quirky personality, the more you read, the more you love her. From her vegetarianism to her devotion to Greenpeace, Mia never fails to surprise with her fast-paced, directly contradictory thoughts.

Mia's life is filled with several twists and turns, such as her mother (famous contemporary painter Helen Thermopolis) dating Mia's Algebra teacher, "Mr. G." Algebra, the subject Mia is flunking.

Mia's father has been struggling with cancer, and after much chemotherapy, it's discovered that he can't have any more children. And Mia is therefore told she is the heir to the throne of Genovia.

After much resistance, Mia must go through with "princess lessons" with her French grandmother who treats Mia with little respect and still less appreciation.

There are the typical day to day teenage happenings; dates, new friends, first kisses, friendships in trouble, the reformation of paradigms about everyone and everything around her- all leading through several plot twists and eventually coming to a very happy resoltion.

I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor. If you can't take a joke or can't remember what being fourteen was all about, it probably isn't for you. If you do like this book, be sure to read the (much better) "Princess Diaries Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight," "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" and "On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God."

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Ok i read this book many months before i even learned that they were making a movie. You cannot watch the movie before reading the book. It takes away all the magic and realism. It seems when they were making the movie they forgot to consult the book. They completely changed Meg Cabots work. The changed the setting from New York to San Francisco, Changed Mr. G's name, and called Lars Joe. Terrible movie excellent book.

It's a classic makover tale, which in the movies stinks but in books are great. They talk about the normal things in a girls life. Sexuality, or lack of, guys, best friends, best friends cute older brother, how to get a boyfriend and when you get one, how you could get him to kiss you. Mia's world was just like a normal person, until she found out that her dad is steril due to treatment for cancer. Make sure you read the sequals. There are going to be 6 total she has 3 currents ly and the 4th Princess in Waiting will be out in March. Plenty are looking forward to it...

Princess in the Spotlight
Meg Cabot

Would you think it would be great to be a princess? How about the princess of Genovia a small country located between Italy and France (note: Genovia is a fictional country, made up by the author). Let's get back to reality. You live in Manhattan, New York, and one of the things you worry about is your self-image. Being tall and having your frizzy hair which makes your head looks like a yield sign. You have a crush on your best friend's brother. Wait, did I tell you that your mom and your ALGEBEA teacher are going out (your also flunking algebra too). Then, you find out your mom is ______ with your algebra teacher. That is how Mia Thermopolis feels.
If you are Mia, how are you a royal of Genovia? Your mother and father were going out in college and had you. You're still considered heir to the throne. Your grandmother (royal) is making an arrangement for you to be interviewed on television, in which will be aired all over the country. You've also been receiving secret admirer email messages. The "secret admirer" person seems to be madly in love with you. You have to go to algebra review lessons after school (remember, your flunking this subject), and right after that you have to go to princess lessons at the Plaza Hotel, taught by your grandmother. Why exactly do you have to go to princess lessons? During Christmas break you must meet the people of Genovia (the people whom you will rule one day.) Every step of the way you write in your diary to get out your thoughts. Mia do you think you can handle this princess business?
Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot is a wonderfully written book. Mostly girls will enjoy this book. I thought the author could elaborate the book, but I 100% recommend you read the first volume in the series, The Princess Diaries. Mia may be strange, but you might enjoy her personality.

I read this book so fast that I can barely remember how the plot goes in this (well, I can sort of) ...I have to reread it...I just remember it was really great, but the first one was a bit better. I read it in several hours. Well, here's what it's about:
Mia's life is getting more complicated by the minute. First, she finds out that she's the princess of a country which is population 50,000, and has to take princess lessons from her strict grandmother. As if that's not enough, her mom is seeing her algebra teacher (that all happened in Book 1, just reminding you)--and her mom's pregnant now, too!
Mia thinks that her life can't get any worse now, but it turns out that her grandmother organized a national primetime interview--which of course, Mia totally doesn't live through.
BUT WAIT! Is there a bright light in the end of the hallway? Someone's sending Mia love letters--well, a love letter and several love emails. But she can't even figure out who it is!!!
This book's full of surprises. I'm going to read book #3 as soon as I can!

If you liked the first princess diaries book, you will sure get a kick out of this one!
Fifteen year old Mia Thermopolis is struggling to be a normal teenager. Boys, homework, boys again. But on the other hand she is the Princess of a small country named Genovia. Things are getting hectic in her life, Mia's mom is dating her algebra teacher, (by the way what is her worst subject!) everyday after school, Mia still has princess lessons taught by her grandmother Grandmere. Mia has a secret admirer who keeps on sending her letters, but won't tell her who it is. She also has a crush on her bestfriends brother who by the way only thinks of Mia as her sisters bestfriend. Even though Mia is the princess of a small country, you have to look on the other hand. She is also just a normal teenage girl trying to live a teenage life! If you want to read a GREAT book, pick this one up, and you will never be able to put it down.

Helen Keller once wrote, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." These words perhaps portray the making of the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret of Great Britain from their celebrated birth to their early adult lives. Anne Edwards, an experienced biographer who has written books such as "Queen Mary and the House of Windsor", "Ever After: Diana and the Life She Led", and "Sonya: The Life of Countess Tolstoy", among many others, is no stranger to the British Royal Family. Her thorough research on the subject, extensive notes, and detailed descriptions highly contributed to the understanding of a reader who started out not knowing much about the hierarchy of the British Crown. A book about the adolescent and early adult lives of the two princesses, I found it to be at times, like chicken soup for the reader's soul. It teaches the lesson of not being bitter and jealous through unfavorable and painful experiences and to love from the bottom of your heart by giving all you have. The royal sisters Elizabeth and Margaret have gone through so many unfair and trying circumstances together, and have truly succeeded in carrying out the message that "the great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it" (William James)--just look at all their contributions to the world!

you will stay up all night to finish this gem, I know i did, it was so fantastic right now i'm loaeded up on caffeine just to finish the work day because i was so addicted on this book that i HAD to stay up all night to savor every little word in this masterpiece! READ IT!!!!!!

While I consider myself a Diana expert and have read everything about her since 1981, I am always looking for a new insight or a new spin on things that are already public knowledge. I was pleased with the book but it reassembled many parts out of previous books to make this book. I was also disappointed to see a reference to a trip to Monte Carlo to pick out the supposed engagement ring, but anyone who has read the Trevor Rees-Jones' book knows that no such visit occured. I am also disappointed when the writer makes more of the summer romance then what it was, never taking into consideration the short length of time the 2 spent together and Diana's need to make another man jealous.

I was an admirer of the late Princess but, unlike many other people I know, in no way could I be considered a "Di-junkie." I make this distinction only to show that I am not indiscriminate in my fascination with the poor woman. As a result, I have not read most of the slightly hysterical Di biographies, and I have been offended by the few that I did read. Still, I do have a certain curiosity about what really went on behind the poised and gracious facade of the public Diana. Here, Anne Edwards has written the definitive work, scholarly to be sure, addressing the Princess of Wales as an author would any other historical figure. According to her own notes, Ms. Edwards began this project before the Princess' sudden death. The book is detailed and filled a multitude of exactly the kind of facts that are valuable to anyone with a background in historic research. There is a thorough explanation of who the very sweet and young noblewoman was in terms of her own family's prestigious history and expectations. The clear conclusion is that this innocent girl was used, callously and deliberately, to satisfy both the breeding needs and the media relations requirements of the Royal family. Yet at no time does Ms. Edwards appear partisan toward Diana, nor does she engage in imaginative psychobabble to attempt to understand what made the much-loved (by everyone except her ex-husband and his family!) Diana tick. The result is a book which is the Diana resource that historians will rely on in centuries to come. I look forward to reading other works by Ms. Edwards.

Anne Edwards does an exquisite job at portraying the life of Princess Diana. This novel takes the reader through Diana's rough childhood, family background, marriage to Prince Charles, public work, divorce and her death in 1997. The book takes the reader by surprise because many people saw Diana's life as a fairytale, but learn through the novel that Diana's life was not as perfect as it seemed to be. Readers will learn a great deal about the life story of Princess Diana. This novel is appropriate for young adults to grownup.