My own, personal philosophy is that when things get stressful, there's nothing like a good kid's book to help refocus the mind. Books classified as 'junior' fiction are quick reads (so they don't take up too much of the time that you don't have) and they're usually a little fluffier and take less energy. In this spirit, here are a couple pretty good books written for young teens.
The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker tells the story of Princess Emeralda who finds a talking frog in the swamp near the castle. He claims to be Prince Eadric from a nearby kingdom and says he's been turned into a frog for questioning the fashion sense of a witch. When she finally decides that it can't hurt to kiss him and see what happens, she discovers just how much it can hurt because he stays a frog, but she turns into one, too! Emma must learn to live as a frog as the two of them embark on an adventure to become human again.
This was a cute little story - some of the elements of plot were a bit predictable, especially regarding the characters, although the story as a whole was interesting. I liked the characters for the most part, especially the different sorts of animals that they encounter. There was quite a bit of variety, and the author did a good job of dealing with a human character who suddenly had to adapt to life as a frog. I have just discovered that it's a series (with at least four books) and I don't think I liked it enough to read all of them - a younger reader would probably enjoy them - but it was definitely worth a quick read for a change of pace.
In Once Upon a Marigold, Jean Ferris introduces Christian, a young boy who runs away from home to live in the forest with Ed, a troll. As Christian grows up, he watches the royal family of the kingdom where they live and notices that one of the princesses is a little different than the others - thus begins his interest in Princess Marigold. He begins writing her letters and conversing through pigeon-mail (p-mail) and finally decides to get a job at her castle so that he can be close to her. Once he gets there, however, he discovers that not all is well in the royal family - the Queen has decided that family interferes with her own plans. Suddenly, it's up to Chris to find a way to save his princess and the kingdom.
This really is a great story. Written in Ferris's off-kilter style, it's a fantasy story that doesn't feel quite like any other. I really love the characters in this story - they seem believable in part because each one has entirely unique thoughts and personality traits. The storyline is also fun and, although bits of it are a little predictable, there are enough twists in the story, I think, to keep it interesting. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book - it isn't deep, but it's definitely fun.
- If these books sound interesting, consider these: Heroics for Beginners, Princess Academy, The Last Apprentice, or Princess Nevermore
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