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Princess Academy graphic novel
Not yet published
Expected 7 Apr 26The New York Times bestselling and Newbery-Honor winning classic, Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, is reimagined as a graphic novel with stunning art from illustrator Victoria Ying.
Miri lives high atop Mount Eskel where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life, working in the quarry. But everything changes when word arrives that the prince of the kingdom will choose his princess from among the village girls.
A makeshift academy is set up on the mountain and every eligible girl must attend and learn how to become a proper princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Being chosen could give her everything she ever wanted, but does Miri really want to leave her home and family behind for a royal life?
Miri lives high atop Mount Eskel where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life, working in the quarry. But everything changes when word arrives that the prince of the kingdom will choose his princess from among the village girls.
A makeshift academy is set up on the mountain and every eligible girl must attend and learn how to become a proper princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Being chosen could give her everything she ever wanted, but does Miri really want to leave her home and family behind for a royal life?
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 7, 2026
43 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Hale
145 books14.1k followersShannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels: the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, multiple award winner Book of a Thousand Days, and the highly acclaimed Books of Bayern series. She has written three books for adults, including the upcoming Midnight in Austenland (Jan. 2012), companion book to Austenland. She co-wrote the hit graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel Calamity Jack with husband Dean Hale. They live near Salt Lake City, Utah with their four small children, and their pet, a small, plastic pig.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 12, 2025
Super cute! While it's been awhile since I last read Princess Academy, I think this was a pretty faithful adaptation, and I liked the way the characters were interpreted and illustrated.
November 23, 2025
Shannon Hale's Princess Academy is what Kiera Cass's The Selection should have been.
A society in which the ruling family of the country must follow divinings that name a specific town in the kingdom as the place that the prince's bride must come from, the announcement itself brings a great deal of uncertainty for the girls of the village. Many are uncertain whether they even want to marry the prince at all, others are determined to use this as an opportunity to learn as much as they can, and some find the entire experiment to be one of absolute ridiculousness—after all, why would a prince want one of them?
I absolutely loved this story, so much that I will most certainly be reading the book that inspired this graphic novel. I'll also be recommending the book to a large number of my students as I see this being a phenomenal read, especially for the young girls that I've taught over the years. It's especially poignant given that the young girls all have to be taught to read for the first time in their lives.
Now, the story follows Miri primarily, one of the village girls who has felt rather isolated from her community as a result of her overprotective father. Despite all of that, she begins her time in the princess academy determined to use it as an opportunity to make life better for those of her community, a part of her overall search for purpose and value within the world she's inhabited that has left her feeling as though she has nothing good to offer. Not only is she not really all that interested in marrying the prince, she's also got a rather large crush on a boy from her village.
While in this academy, Miri faces competition with the other girls, but she also is able to experience the first extremely close friendship that she's ever had. This was truly a beautiful moment and one of the high points of the story.
Additionally, I have to note this—especially as it was referenced in a one-star DNF review here—the prince has just turned 18, which is what has sparked the search for his future wife. Most of the girls in the story vary in age, the oldest being 17 and the youngest unfortunately being 12. And yes, while that is obviously rather gross, the references to the youngest's age are done so in order to clearly point out and allude to the fact that it would be absolutely ridiculous for the prince to choose her.
So, all in all, I think the story was handled exceptionally well and the artwork was gorgeous throughout. I truly think this is a book worth reading to and providing for many young girls. It's certainly one that will exist as a favorite for many and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A society in which the ruling family of the country must follow divinings that name a specific town in the kingdom as the place that the prince's bride must come from, the announcement itself brings a great deal of uncertainty for the girls of the village. Many are uncertain whether they even want to marry the prince at all, others are determined to use this as an opportunity to learn as much as they can, and some find the entire experiment to be one of absolute ridiculousness—after all, why would a prince want one of them?
I absolutely loved this story, so much that I will most certainly be reading the book that inspired this graphic novel. I'll also be recommending the book to a large number of my students as I see this being a phenomenal read, especially for the young girls that I've taught over the years. It's especially poignant given that the young girls all have to be taught to read for the first time in their lives.
Now, the story follows Miri primarily, one of the village girls who has felt rather isolated from her community as a result of her overprotective father. Despite all of that, she begins her time in the princess academy determined to use it as an opportunity to make life better for those of her community, a part of her overall search for purpose and value within the world she's inhabited that has left her feeling as though she has nothing good to offer. Not only is she not really all that interested in marrying the prince, she's also got a rather large crush on a boy from her village.
While in this academy, Miri faces competition with the other girls, but she also is able to experience the first extremely close friendship that she's ever had. This was truly a beautiful moment and one of the high points of the story.
Additionally, I have to note this—especially as it was referenced in a one-star DNF review here—the prince has just turned 18, which is what has sparked the search for his future wife. Most of the girls in the story vary in age, the oldest being 17 and the youngest unfortunately being 12. And yes, while that is obviously rather gross, the references to the youngest's age are done so in order to clearly point out and allude to the fact that it would be absolutely ridiculous for the prince to choose her.
So, all in all, I think the story was handled exceptionally well and the artwork was gorgeous throughout. I truly think this is a book worth reading to and providing for many young girls. It's certainly one that will exist as a favorite for many and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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November 15, 2025See my full review here: https://yabookscentral.com/princess-a...
PRINCESS ACADEMY: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL is a delightful graphic novel adaptation. Miri lives a simple life that is thrown for a spin, when the prince reveals that he will choose a princess from the village girls. A training school is started where they must learn how to be princesses, and Miri is challenged by the rules and a tough teacher. At the same time, Miri is not sure if she would even want to be a princess, and she feels conflicted by the prospect.
What I loved: This is a great adaptation of the original, staying true to the story while bringing it to life in detailed illustrations and expressive characters. The book does a great job of telling the story through limited dialogue and heavily relying on images, which is fantastic for a graphic novel adaptation. Considering the length of the original, this was likely no easy task, but it is done smoothly and skillfully here.
The story itself is a lot of fun with many relatable elements around trying to be your best, consider what you want for your future, and navigate challenging social situations, things that older middle grade/younger YA readers are also grappling with. While they might not be in a school for princesses, their schools likely have many of the same elements and challenges.
The illustrations are well done throughout with lots of expressive characters and multi-paneled pages that help to convey the story through the images. There are a lot of details that give readers much to visually explore and enjoy as the story comes to life.
Final verdict: PRINCESS ACADEMY: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL is a charming graphic novel adaptation that will be relatable for older MG/younger YA readers as they enjoy the magic and charm of Miri's story - with fantastic illustrations!
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
PRINCESS ACADEMY: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL is a delightful graphic novel adaptation. Miri lives a simple life that is thrown for a spin, when the prince reveals that he will choose a princess from the village girls. A training school is started where they must learn how to be princesses, and Miri is challenged by the rules and a tough teacher. At the same time, Miri is not sure if she would even want to be a princess, and she feels conflicted by the prospect.
What I loved: This is a great adaptation of the original, staying true to the story while bringing it to life in detailed illustrations and expressive characters. The book does a great job of telling the story through limited dialogue and heavily relying on images, which is fantastic for a graphic novel adaptation. Considering the length of the original, this was likely no easy task, but it is done smoothly and skillfully here.
The story itself is a lot of fun with many relatable elements around trying to be your best, consider what you want for your future, and navigate challenging social situations, things that older middle grade/younger YA readers are also grappling with. While they might not be in a school for princesses, their schools likely have many of the same elements and challenges.
The illustrations are well done throughout with lots of expressive characters and multi-paneled pages that help to convey the story through the images. There are a lot of details that give readers much to visually explore and enjoy as the story comes to life.
Final verdict: PRINCESS ACADEMY: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL is a charming graphic novel adaptation that will be relatable for older MG/younger YA readers as they enjoy the magic and charm of Miri's story - with fantastic illustrations!
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
September 29, 2025
ARC provided by the publisher
Miri lives in Eskel with her father, who has raised her since her mother died while she was being born. Her small mountain village depends on the mining of a stone, linder, and trading with other communities. When the message comes that the prophets have revealed that the heir to the throne, Steffan, will have a wife who comes from Eskel, all of the girls of a certain age are sent to a Princess Academy to learn skills. While Miri is glad to be going to school rather than tending goats, she misses her community, especially Peder, whom she would like to marry. There are a lot of different girls attending the school, with the understandable problems, as well as friendships. Even though the ostensible purpose of the academy is to train a future princess, the girls are able to work together, overcome obstacles, and think beyond the traditional fairy tale stereotype of a princess. There is a magical element in this with Miri being able to communicate via the linder stone. The original novel (2005) has two sequels, Palace of Stone (2012) and The Forgotten Sisters (2015).
There seems to be a trend of trying to increase interest in older titles by issuing graphic novel versions. Pierce's Alana: The First Adventure has seen this treatment as well. Princess Academy seemed closer to the original than some adaptations I have read, but it has been quite some time since I read the original. Hale's strong world building definitely comes through, and seeing one concept of the setting was fun. Readers who enjoy other girl power fantasies like Ursu's The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy and Hendrix's Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans will enjoy this visit to Eskel.
Miri lives in Eskel with her father, who has raised her since her mother died while she was being born. Her small mountain village depends on the mining of a stone, linder, and trading with other communities. When the message comes that the prophets have revealed that the heir to the throne, Steffan, will have a wife who comes from Eskel, all of the girls of a certain age are sent to a Princess Academy to learn skills. While Miri is glad to be going to school rather than tending goats, she misses her community, especially Peder, whom she would like to marry. There are a lot of different girls attending the school, with the understandable problems, as well as friendships. Even though the ostensible purpose of the academy is to train a future princess, the girls are able to work together, overcome obstacles, and think beyond the traditional fairy tale stereotype of a princess. There is a magical element in this with Miri being able to communicate via the linder stone. The original novel (2005) has two sequels, Palace of Stone (2012) and The Forgotten Sisters (2015).
There seems to be a trend of trying to increase interest in older titles by issuing graphic novel versions. Pierce's Alana: The First Adventure has seen this treatment as well. Princess Academy seemed closer to the original than some adaptations I have read, but it has been quite some time since I read the original. Hale's strong world building definitely comes through, and seeing one concept of the setting was fun. Readers who enjoy other girl power fantasies like Ursu's The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy and Hendrix's Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans will enjoy this visit to Eskel.
July 15, 2025
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale was a Newbery Honor book back in 2005 but it’s 300+ pages hasn’t done a lot to help it fly off my shelf lately. 🤷♀️ Add to that, it’s one I hadn’t read so my recommendation was limited to the shiny sticker on the cover and my general love for everything Shannon Hale related. I’ve been meaning to remedy that but you know how that goes when your TBR is a mile long BEFORE you go to ALA 😂
I digress.
So I picked this one up off a shelf in the convention hall and decided it’s now or never! I’m so very glad I did!
Who knew you could make a Disney-esque storybook princess tale that oozes feminism, has a sprinkle of romance, and teaches kids about the fine arts of listening, diplomacy, and trade negotiation? Apparently Shannon Hale knew because that’s exactly what’s served up in this fun and spirited graphic novel.
Since I haven’t read the original (something soon to be remedied) I can’t speak to the faithfulness of the adaptation but the illustrations in this version are practically begging to become an animated feature.
Victoria Ying ‘s illustrations bring Miri and the residents of Mount Eskel to life in a fun and vibrant way but it’s how she personifies the mountain speech and songs that really caught my attention. Her creativity and attention to detail while still understanding her young audience was brilliant. I can’t wait to see the finished version and add it to my library. Pretty sure this is what my OG copy of Princess Academy needs to help it zoom to the top of the checkout list…maybe just behind this one though. 😉
Preorder Princess Academy the graphic novel, out April 7, 2026 from KidsBloomsbury
I digress.
So I picked this one up off a shelf in the convention hall and decided it’s now or never! I’m so very glad I did!
Who knew you could make a Disney-esque storybook princess tale that oozes feminism, has a sprinkle of romance, and teaches kids about the fine arts of listening, diplomacy, and trade negotiation? Apparently Shannon Hale knew because that’s exactly what’s served up in this fun and spirited graphic novel.
Since I haven’t read the original (something soon to be remedied) I can’t speak to the faithfulness of the adaptation but the illustrations in this version are practically begging to become an animated feature.
Victoria Ying ‘s illustrations bring Miri and the residents of Mount Eskel to life in a fun and vibrant way but it’s how she personifies the mountain speech and songs that really caught my attention. Her creativity and attention to detail while still understanding her young audience was brilliant. I can’t wait to see the finished version and add it to my library. Pretty sure this is what my OG copy of Princess Academy needs to help it zoom to the top of the checkout list…maybe just behind this one though. 😉
Preorder Princess Academy the graphic novel, out April 7, 2026 from KidsBloomsbury
August 15, 2025
Thank you so much to Edelweiss for providing a digital arc of this book for me to review!
For the most part, this is a nice graphic adaptation of a much-loved novel. The art is great. And most of the story stays true to the source--although I saw the author at a panel discussion and she said she had rewritten a lot of the book. One of the rewrites was in my opinion-a great loss. **SPOILER ALERT** She took Miri's (and the other girls') greatest accomplishment away. In the book, they learned the true value of linder, and used that knowledge to help their village gain better value from the Traders. In the GN, they needed the help of a man (the Prince) to achieve this. Boo!
For the most part, this is a nice graphic adaptation of a much-loved novel. The art is great. And most of the story stays true to the source--although I saw the author at a panel discussion and she said she had rewritten a lot of the book. One of the rewrites was in my opinion-a great loss. **SPOILER ALERT** She took Miri's (and the other girls') greatest accomplishment away. In the book, they learned the true value of linder, and used that knowledge to help their village gain better value from the Traders. In the GN, they needed the help of a man (the Prince) to achieve this. Boo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2025
I thought this was a great adaptation of the novel. Sometimes graphic novel adaptations lose important details and worldbuilding, but this one found great ways to intertwine original lore into the art and writing. It was paced well and I think many readers will enjoy! Thank you to Bloomsbury @ ALA for the ARC!
October 10, 2025
I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I will admit, I have never read the book series but still enjoyed this graphic novel version of the first book in the series. The art was bright and colorful and the story was fast paced. I look forward to reading the next installment.
November 18, 2025
Princess Academy Graphic Novel is a fun story with a strong female protagonist. The story takes place in a rural mountain town where the town harvests a certain type of rock. The prince must choose a bride from that town and all the girls of a certain age must compete at a Princess Academy to learn the skills necessary to be a princess. This story showed the importance and value of education as they realize they are being taken advantage of by the traders when they learn to read.
I would definitely recommend this graphic novel for anyone in grades four plus depending on reading level.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC. It did not impact my view of the book. I loved this book and its wholesome story.
I would definitely recommend this graphic novel for anyone in grades four plus depending on reading level.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC. It did not impact my view of the book. I loved this book and its wholesome story.
November 17, 2025
The 18-year-old prince is demanding all girls leave their lives and families and go away to a finishing school to prepare to be selected as his bride??? So no choice in the matter, and he's choosing from among 12 YEAR OLDS??? Gross. I had to put it down immediately when that was mentioned as the entire premise of the book.
July 18, 2025
This book was pretty good, but I definitely liked the original Princess Academy better. It followed the book pretty well and there wasn't anything wrong with it, I just think the story was told better as a novel.
November 11, 2025
Great idea to adapt Newbery book to graphic novel format. I hope more books are completed. This will help make it more accessible to reluctant readers. I liked the artwork but thought it could have been shorter. I would recommend this book to school librarians for their collection.
September 17, 2025
I really enjoyed this! I have not read the original storyline, but I found this funny, whimsical, and endearing!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews