Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.comPrincess Alicia has never been far from the company of her own family and servants. Now she's away from them at Camp Princess. A place full of new people, new experiences, and constant surprises. Her turret-mates are completely different from anyone she's ever known. Princess Gundersnap is frumpy and blunt, and Princess Kristen is a stylish tomboy, whose garments consist mostly of animals she's hunted. Not to mention the other Princesses, some of whom aren't very friendly. As if the other Princesses weren't enough to deal with, there are the activities; needlepoint, swimming in the moat, makeup (with a very nasty duchess), falconry, lawn tennis, canoing, sailing, archery, jewel crafts, catching a songbird and teaching it to sing. Plus, all outdoor activities are weather dependent, and it can change from summer to winter in two minutes on any given day. Princess Camp is hard to keep up with! The appearance of a ghost comes as a bit of a surprise to Princess Alicia. At first she just thinks she's dreaming. It will take help from all of her turret-mates to solve the mystery, and put the ghost to rest. Not to mention getting her songbird to sing! BORN TO RULE is a light, sweet story, well suited to younger girls. It felt like it traveled in fits and spurts, but that might just have been the weather! At the end of the story the point of view switches seamlessly from Princess Alicia to Princess Gundersnap. Which tells me that our Princesses have much more adventure in store for them!
Princess Alicia of All the Belgravias does not want to attend Camp Princess. Young royals from near and far, nasty and nice, engage in activities that include swimming, falconry, embroidery, flawless makeup application, and training songbirds from the Forest of Chimes. She expected things to go easy upon arrival and yet Alicia's bird refuses to sing and the girls' unexpected outspokenness gets her in trouble with a camp counselor, threatening to put her purple team in last place in the camp's color wars. The only saving grace turns out to be her new turret mates: Princess Kristen of the Isles of Salt Tears in the Realm of the Rolm and Princess Gundersnap of the Empire of Slobodkonia. Yet, it is shy Alicia who becomes embroiled in a tragic old love story. She meets a mysterious, magical woman in the forest and discovers a ghost lurking in her bedchamber and a missing tapestry that tells only half of the lovers' tale. In the end, the girls release the ghost princess and her knight for a happy reunion. Perfect for girly girls or for devoted fans of puffball princess stories.Book Details: Title Born to Rule (Camp Princess #1) Author Kathryn Lasky Reviewed By Purplycookie
What do You think about Born To Rule (2006)?
CIP: noneSummary: Alicia goes to summer camp for princesses where she encounters a ghost and must solve a 200 year old mystery.Review: This fantasy novel will enchant those who dream of being able to wear tiaras all day and engage in activities such as embroidery and teaching songbirds to sing. However, it moves slowly and predictably, with the requisite happy ending.SLJ says: "readers will enjoy the satisfying ending."Publisher's Weekly says : "Lasky's Camp Princess series is off to a sprightly start."
—Anne
