Once Upon a Marigold and The Frog Princess

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

The Harper Hall Trilogy & Dragonsdawn

Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums) takes place on the planet Pern. For those who are unfamiliar, a group of colonists from Earth settled on Pern and then discovered that every so many hundreds of years, another planet in the system passes near Pern and drops a life-form that they call 'Thread.' Thread is a sort of parasite (for lack of a better description) that literally disintegrates anything that isn't plastic or metal and must be burned or drowned in water before they will stop. To combat Thread, the colonists genetically engineered life-size fire-breathing dragons patterned after smaller lizard-sized dragons native to Pern. Dragons are telepathically linked to human dragonriders when they hatch - together, dragons and dragonriders sweep the skies when the Thread falls, burning up as much as possible to keep the people safe.

Readers interested in the original colonists should read Dragonsdawn. I definitely recommend it - the book gives a lot of insight into the founding of Pern, and also has a great cast of characters with realistic lives as colonists. The main story follows Sorka Hanrahan and Sean Connell who are only children when they arrive at Pern, however, there are dozens of other characters which makes for an interesting story.

By the time that the Harper Hall Trilogy takes place, the settlers on Pern have spread out and populated most of the planet. However, they have also lost most of their technological origins and spread most of their traditions and stories through the songs of 'harpers.' The first two books follow the journey of Menolly, a young girl who lives in a fishing village. She has incredible musical talent, but her family believes that music should be left to men and attempt to quash her gift. Menolly runs away and is only found out-running Threadfall. At this point, her life changes forever.

The second book, Dragonsinger, picks up immediately where the first leaves off, talking about how Menolly's life changes after the truth about her talent is discovered and she goes to Harper Hall to learn about music.

Finally, the third book is really more of a stand-alone book that happens to include the same characters as the first two. It takes place several years after the end of the second book and the main character is Piemur, a boy whom Menolly meets at Harper Hall. Although Piemur is an incredible singer, his voice has begun to change and the Masterharper decides to send him out on political errands. Soon, however, Piemur ends up finding more adventure than he expected.

I really love this series for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the books are very short which makes them quick reads. I have to admit that I like the first two more than the third because it doesn't seem as relevant to the series (Menolly and the main characters from the other two books do not show up much) and because I don't really enjoy 'political intrigue' which is the central point of the third book. Menolly and the other characters are easy to relate to, and the storyline is an interesting approach to the way of life on Pern. I also enjoy the poems/songs at the start of each chapter - they are all unique and add something to the story. I definitely recommend these books to fans of music and fantasy - and to anyone looking for something a little different.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Fablehaven, Spirit Fox, Dragonhaven, or Dark Lord of Derkholm

The Two Princesses of Bamarre

By another of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine, The Two Princesses of Bamarre tells the story of Meryl - the adventurous older sister - and 12-year-old Addie, the younger, more timid and reserved sister. The two are best friends, although Meryl wants to save the kingdom from all of the nasty critters (like ogres) and also from the strange disease, called the Gray Death that strikes without warning or regard to rank, while Addie wants to stay safe at home. When the Gray Death strikes Meryl, however, Addie must face her fears and find her own answers. With the help of a sorcerer, Rhys, Addie embarks on the adventure of a lifetime in an effort to save her sister and, perhaps, find herself.

This is a wonderful story. Pure fantasy, this story gives readers well-developed characters and an intriguing plot. It's a quick and easy book to read, but definitely worth it. This is one of those fun stories that you'll find yourself going back to time and again. I definitely recommend it!

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Princess Academy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, Black Pearls, or Princess Nevermore

Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms

I am definitely a fan of Mercedes Lackey in general, but I truly enjoy her Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. The premise is that all of the stories take place in a world where magic is ruled by the Tradition - which refers to common fairy tales. Daily life tends to take the shape of the fairy tales that the people tell. Note that although all of the stories are linked in some way, each one is written to be stand-alone. In fact, each story looks at different kingdoms which have different stories so every book has a unique voice, despite the fact that they are all in the same series.

The first, The Fairy Godmother tells the story of Elena Klovis, who was supposed to be a Cinderella. Unfortunately, however, her prince was still a child and so the Cinderella story could not be fulfilled. Instead, Elena gets the chance to become a fairy godmother and carry on the work of 'herding' the magic of the Tradition to keep evil from creeping in. As a godmother, Elena faces many challenges, most notably, a prince needing to be reformed. Godmothers always have something going on! I love this story because it's a unique look at fairy tales, and also because the story and characters are richly developed.

In the next story, One Good Knight, Princess Andromeda lives in a kingdom reminiscent of Greece. Her mother, Queen Andromeda has enough ambition for the whole of the kingdom, while Andromeda is rather bookish wishes that she could measure up to her mother's standards. Andromeda's life changes drastically, however, when her name is drawn in a lottery forcing her to be sacrificed to the dragon that has invaded their kingdom. I have to admit that this book doesn't feel quite as 'deep' and engaging as the first. However, the story and characters are just as unique and interesting. I would definitely recommend this book, particularly to book lovers who will empathize with the bibliophiles in the story.

The third, and newest installment, Fortune's Fool, looks at the Russian tradition. This story follows two characters: Prince Sasha Pieterovich, the seventh son in the kingdom of Led Belarus and Princess Ekaterina, the seventh daughter of the Sea King. As a Songweaver, Sasha keeps his kingdom safe by creating songs that reflect pleasant ways of life, and also by drawing on his extraordinary 'luck' by virtue of being the seventh son. Although few know it, Katya serves as her father's spy: as someone who can come and go as easily on land as in the sea, she is uniquely suited to scout out problems on land before they reach the sea kingdom. The two meet and fall in love, only to be separated when Katya is captured by a Jinn, leaving Sasha to find some way to get her back. This book definitely has the feel of the first - any lack of depth in the second is not present here. Once again, the book has a unique style reflecting the 'Tradition' of the kingdoms, and the characters and story are well developed and fun to read.

These are some of the most creative books I have read - drawing on 'traditions' and fairy tales, but also turning them around to make completely different stories. Mercedes Lackey creates life-like characters and intriguing story lines. I definitely recommend all of these books to fantasy readers.

For more information about the author and her books, check out her website.

• If these books sound interesting, consider these: Cecelia and Kate, Wicked Lovely, or Black Pearls