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Princess Pulverizer #1
Grilled Cheese and Dragons
Meet the princess who'd rather wear a suit of armor than a crown!
Princess Serena (or as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) doesn't want to be a princess--she wants to be knight! But her father, King Alexander of Empiria, thinks she still has a lot to learn when it comes to exhibiting valiant behavior. So he presents a challenge: the princess must first go on a Quest of Kindness and perform good deeds to prove that she truly deserves to go to knight school. With help from a friendly dragon named Dribble and a perpetually terrified knight-in-training named Lucas, can she complete her quest and discover what it really takes to be a hero?
Princess Serena (or as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) doesn't want to be a princess--she wants to be knight! But her father, King Alexander of Empiria, thinks she still has a lot to learn when it comes to exhibiting valiant behavior. So he presents a challenge: the princess must first go on a Quest of Kindness and perform good deeds to prove that she truly deserves to go to knight school. With help from a friendly dragon named Dribble and a perpetually terrified knight-in-training named Lucas, can she complete her quest and discover what it really takes to be a hero?
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
51 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
About the author
Nancy E. Krulik
417 books239 followersNancy Krulik is the author of more than 100 books for children and young adults, including three New York Times bestsellers. She is best known, however, for being the author and creator of the Katie Kazoo Switcheroo book series, which has brought her to the attention of second, third, and fourth graders nationwide.
Nancy has also written extensively for teens and is well known as a biographer of Hollywood's hottest young stars. Her knowledge of the details of celebrities lives has made her a desired guest on several entertainment shows on the E! network as well as on Extra and Access Hollywood. She can be seen there talking about the secret lives of such celebs as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, and Frankie Muniz. Nancy has also been a guest on radio broadcasts nationwide discussing the superstars she has researched over the years.
As the author of several teen and preteen advice books, including Grosset and Dunlap's Prom!: The Complete Guide to a Truly Spectacular Night, Nancy has been interviewed by several prominent magazines including Cosmo Girl, Teen, Teen People, Seventeen, and Teen Celebrity. She has also been the celebrity guest for three Teen People chat presentations. Nancy has recently begun to delve into the teen novel market, writing four romances for young adults, all of which will be published between 2004 and 2005.
Nancy currently lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser, their two children, Amanda and Ian, and a crazed cockerspaniel named Pepper .
Nancy has also written extensively for teens and is well known as a biographer of Hollywood's hottest young stars. Her knowledge of the details of celebrities lives has made her a desired guest on several entertainment shows on the E! network as well as on Extra and Access Hollywood. She can be seen there talking about the secret lives of such celebs as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, and Frankie Muniz. Nancy has also been a guest on radio broadcasts nationwide discussing the superstars she has researched over the years.
As the author of several teen and preteen advice books, including Grosset and Dunlap's Prom!: The Complete Guide to a Truly Spectacular Night, Nancy has been interviewed by several prominent magazines including Cosmo Girl, Teen, Teen People, Seventeen, and Teen Celebrity. She has also been the celebrity guest for three Teen People chat presentations. Nancy has recently begun to delve into the teen novel market, writing four romances for young adults, all of which will be published between 2004 and 2005.
Nancy currently lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser, their two children, Amanda and Ian, and a crazed cockerspaniel named Pepper .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
March 11, 2018
Solid story, terrific illustrations. Has a similar feel to the Hamster Princess series or Princess Pink series from Branches/Scholastic and a little like the Princess in Black. If you haven’t tried any of those, I would start with the Princess in Black for this age group (6-10) or Hamster Princess (which can skew older because the stories are longer). But if you have fans of those books, they might enjoy Princess Pulverizer.
March 16, 2021
Read this one to Tally and . . . I couldn't stand it. Anyone who tells her it's a series is on my bad list forever.
April 20, 2019
@kidlitexchange #partner I received a free copy of this book for review through Kid Lit Exchange. All opinions are my own.
King Alexander knows his daughter, Princess Serena (aka Princess Pulverizer), well enough to realize that the way to best help her grow is to send her on a Quest of Kindness. If she can complete eight kind deeds, she will be permitted to leave the Royal School of Ladylike Manners and instead attend Knight School, and eventually realize her dream of joining the Knights of the Skround Table. This quest is the background for this new series from the author of George Brown, Class Clown and Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo.
In the first installment, Grilled Cheese and Dragons, the task is to recover priceless jewels stolen by an ogre from the Queen of Smergermeister. To this end, Princess Pulverizer allows herself to be taken prisoner by the ogre, and is soon joined by her sidekicks, Lucas, a knight in training, and Dribble, a peaceful dragon who uses his fire breathing skills to make grilled cheese.
This series is targeted toward a slightly younger audience than Katie Kazoo. With its themes of teamwork, kindness, and girl power, it would make a good addition to 1st-3rd grade classroom libraries.
King Alexander knows his daughter, Princess Serena (aka Princess Pulverizer), well enough to realize that the way to best help her grow is to send her on a Quest of Kindness. If she can complete eight kind deeds, she will be permitted to leave the Royal School of Ladylike Manners and instead attend Knight School, and eventually realize her dream of joining the Knights of the Skround Table. This quest is the background for this new series from the author of George Brown, Class Clown and Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo.
In the first installment, Grilled Cheese and Dragons, the task is to recover priceless jewels stolen by an ogre from the Queen of Smergermeister. To this end, Princess Pulverizer allows herself to be taken prisoner by the ogre, and is soon joined by her sidekicks, Lucas, a knight in training, and Dribble, a peaceful dragon who uses his fire breathing skills to make grilled cheese.
This series is targeted toward a slightly younger audience than Katie Kazoo. With its themes of teamwork, kindness, and girl power, it would make a good addition to 1st-3rd grade classroom libraries.
January 11, 2018
Princess Serena is a little bit of a spoiled girl but she doesn't want to be a fluffy princess, she wants to be a knight and fight dragons. She also doesn't want you to call her Princess Serena, you can call her Princess Pulverizer. She begs her dad to let her be a knight but he said the one thing that knights have is kindness, so he sends her on a Quest for Kindness to prove that she can be a hero.
On her quest she meets to unlikely heroes that I think will be able to help Serena find her kindness. I thought this was a very cute book and the illustrations are gorgeous! I just loved them. I liked Serena but she is a little harsh at times however it is a quest for her to find kindness so she couldn't be the nicest person to start otherwise the quest would be pointless. :)
I thought the situation that her and her friends were put in was very funny and I thought they were very smart with how they handled it. I am looking forward to seeing there the story does and if Princess Pulverizer can find kindness.
Overall, I thought this book was very cute, she is a little harsh at times but over all I think it will be find to watch her grow into a true hero, I highly recommend to younger kids and adults. This would be a great book to read to your kids or have them read aloud to you. :)
AUTHOR BIO
Nancy Krulik is the author of more than two hundred books for children and young adults, including three New York Times Best Sellers. She is best known as the author and creator of the Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo; George Brown, Class Clown; How I Survived Middle School; and Magic Bone book series. Nancy lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser. When she's not writing, Nancy can be found reading, going to concerts, traveling, or running around Central Park with her crazy beagle mix, Josie.
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This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life
June 19, 2022
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"The only thing worse than tea-party lessons was dance lessons."
Grille Cheese and Dragons by Nancy E. Krulik is the story of Princess Serena, aka Princess Pulverizer. This is a princess who wants to be a knight. She wants to join their meetings at the Skround Table. She wants to fight crime and do everything else a knight does but she can't do it unless she joins the school for knights. So she begs her father to let her go until he finally agrees. But on the condition that she will go on a Quest of Kindness and do eight kind deeds to help others. Thus, she goes on her journey only to result in more chaos than she intended to, until she finally stumbles upon a task that might be her first kind deed.
But what happens when while trying to solve it, she gets entrapped by an ogre and cannot leave? And the only knight-in-training who tries to save her ends up inside as well. So now, stuck with a dragon, Dribble and a knight, she has to find a way to escape the ogre's castle, keeping her new friends alive, returning something the ogre stole, at the same time. Can she do all of these things together? What will happen if she fails?
Grilled Cheese and Dragons reminded me a lot of the "Hamster Princess" series by Ursula Vernon but it was still unique in its own way. The story was beautifully written and the situation Princess Pulverizer was stuck in was too funny to be sad about. The illustrations were a beautiful part of it. Their magic brought about a whole new kind of beauty to this book. I very much liked reading about a princess wanting to be a knight and I would love to find out more about her in the coming books.
Overall, the book was a nice example of women empowerment, even though I feel that the princess was a little rude at times to be our hero. Nonetheless, I'd love to watch her grow up in one and surprise us with her growth!
"The only thing worse than tea-party lessons was dance lessons."
Grille Cheese and Dragons by Nancy E. Krulik is the story of Princess Serena, aka Princess Pulverizer. This is a princess who wants to be a knight. She wants to join their meetings at the Skround Table. She wants to fight crime and do everything else a knight does but she can't do it unless she joins the school for knights. So she begs her father to let her go until he finally agrees. But on the condition that she will go on a Quest of Kindness and do eight kind deeds to help others. Thus, she goes on her journey only to result in more chaos than she intended to, until she finally stumbles upon a task that might be her first kind deed.
But what happens when while trying to solve it, she gets entrapped by an ogre and cannot leave? And the only knight-in-training who tries to save her ends up inside as well. So now, stuck with a dragon, Dribble and a knight, she has to find a way to escape the ogre's castle, keeping her new friends alive, returning something the ogre stole, at the same time. Can she do all of these things together? What will happen if she fails?
Grilled Cheese and Dragons reminded me a lot of the "Hamster Princess" series by Ursula Vernon but it was still unique in its own way. The story was beautifully written and the situation Princess Pulverizer was stuck in was too funny to be sad about. The illustrations were a beautiful part of it. Their magic brought about a whole new kind of beauty to this book. I very much liked reading about a princess wanting to be a knight and I would love to find out more about her in the coming books.
Overall, the book was a nice example of women empowerment, even though I feel that the princess was a little rude at times to be our hero. Nonetheless, I'd love to watch her grow up in one and surprise us with her growth!
November 24, 2020
Reviewed for School Library Journal, 2/2018:
Gr 1–4—Princess Serena wants to quit attending the Royal School of Ladylike Manners, change her name to "Princess Pulverizer," and become a knight. Her father, King Alexander, is willing to entertain this bold move but insists that she first go on a Quest of Kindness. This task should involve acts of bravery and generally being unselfish and self-sacrificing, which are not this pint-sized dynamo's strong suits. The princess quickly finds the perfect opportunity to make her mark; a smelly, dull-witted troll has stolen the Queen's jewels, and the princess decides to steal them back. She cleverly finds her way into the troll's lair but her plan soon goes horribly awry. A very ineffectual and weepy young knight (along with his embarrassingly gassy dragon, Dribble) attempts to rescue the princess and instead causes them all to end up prisoners. Despite the odds, this unlikely team eventually triumphs and is soon on to the next adventure. Krulik ("Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo") has introduced a spitfire new heroine with plenty of humor and outrageous shenanigans. Balistreri's illustrations display his animation background and enhance the absurdity factor admirably. VERDICT: A strong series opener and a solid choice for those looking to increase their early chapter book holdings.
Gr 1–4—Princess Serena wants to quit attending the Royal School of Ladylike Manners, change her name to "Princess Pulverizer," and become a knight. Her father, King Alexander, is willing to entertain this bold move but insists that she first go on a Quest of Kindness. This task should involve acts of bravery and generally being unselfish and self-sacrificing, which are not this pint-sized dynamo's strong suits. The princess quickly finds the perfect opportunity to make her mark; a smelly, dull-witted troll has stolen the Queen's jewels, and the princess decides to steal them back. She cleverly finds her way into the troll's lair but her plan soon goes horribly awry. A very ineffectual and weepy young knight (along with his embarrassingly gassy dragon, Dribble) attempts to rescue the princess and instead causes them all to end up prisoners. Despite the odds, this unlikely team eventually triumphs and is soon on to the next adventure. Krulik ("Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo") has introduced a spitfire new heroine with plenty of humor and outrageous shenanigans. Balistreri's illustrations display his animation background and enhance the absurdity factor admirably. VERDICT: A strong series opener and a solid choice for those looking to increase their early chapter book holdings.
October 2, 2017
*actual rating is 3.5 stars*
Princess Serena (aka Princess Pulverizer) does not want to be a ladylike princess who has tea parties and ballroom dances. She wants to go to Knight School and go on heroic adventures. In order to fulfill her dream, her father makes a deal with her: she can go to Knight School if she can complete eight good deeds and bring proof of each completion back to him.
This book is filled with rich language, female empowerment, and hilarious obstacles. It promotes a wonderful message of the necessity of logistical problem solving and the importance of team work. This may be a bit on the crude side, but I think fans of Princess in Black may like this one as well. Overall, this will be a fun book to recommend.
I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Princess Serena (aka Princess Pulverizer) does not want to be a ladylike princess who has tea parties and ballroom dances. She wants to go to Knight School and go on heroic adventures. In order to fulfill her dream, her father makes a deal with her: she can go to Knight School if she can complete eight good deeds and bring proof of each completion back to him.
This book is filled with rich language, female empowerment, and hilarious obstacles. It promotes a wonderful message of the necessity of logistical problem solving and the importance of team work. This may be a bit on the crude side, but I think fans of Princess in Black may like this one as well. Overall, this will be a fun book to recommend.
I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
January 20, 2018
Early Readers can often be tricky because they can often be too plot driven without taking care to develop well-rounded characters (see: rainbow magic). I really appreciate this one because we have a strong female character at the center of this story, the book does a nice job at weaving in vocabulary words, the plot moves quickly, and there’s humor throughout the whole book. Would definitely recommend for fans of Magic Treehouse, the Branches series, or the fairy books.
May 26, 2020
The first book in this series is an excellent introduction to chapter books for readers who love all things princess but are bored of the traditional “damsel-in-distress” trope. Princess Pulverizer: Dragons and Grilled Cheese charmingly subverts expectations of the typical princess story line while still including all the elements readers love about these tales: knights, dragons, ogres and of course, a brazen princess! What I loved about this book is that the protagonist, Princess Pulverizer, is not your average good girl with inherently benevolent qualities. She’s a flawed heroine with a rash and pushy nature. She also has a clear motivation and she’s determined to achieve her goal: to get out of princess school and in to knight school. While she is an empowered and willful kid, she also learns that asking for something politely can go a long way, instead of ordering others around. I also loved that Princess Pulverizer, who rejects princess school and wants to blaze her own trail to attend knight school, isn’t the only pariah in the book. Her friends Dribble the Dragon and Lucas the knight are outcasts, too. Lucas is mocked in Knight School for being afraid of everything, and Dribble is shunned by other dragons because he would rather use his fire breathing powers to filet sandwiches than people. The first book sets up potential for the protagonist’s growth in future books, as well as a chance for a mutually beneficial friendship with Lucas and Dribble. The illustrations by Ben are sure to give a few chuckles and offer moments of levity during those scenes that younger audiences may find slightly scary. If you have a young reader who wants to know what happens to the princess after a picture book ends, I would recommend moving on to this funny, light-hearted chapter book series.
November 23, 2020
Fun quest book with a Princess, a dragon, and a fraidy-cat knight. In this one, the Princess needs to go on a kindness quest and do 8 good deeds in order to join the knight school she wishes to attend.
July 16, 2018
A princess who wants to be a knight, enough said!!!
August 18, 2019
Another Addi book and it’s so cute! I love that she loves series and wants me to read all of them.
December 3, 2020
My oldest (6) picked this series as our next read aloud and all three of my girls enjoyed it. As a parent I appreciated the lessons learned and the divergence from the typical princess narration. We're excited to continue the series.
February 1, 2021
3.5/5
Cute and adventurous, but didn't have as much heart as some of the other chapter books I've been reading. It's good, just not my thing.
Cute and adventurous, but didn't have as much heart as some of the other chapter books I've been reading. It's good, just not my thing.
February 17, 2022
this was very cute!!! it ended up being super well-rounded and really had a lesson about kindness and treating people well without hitting you over the head with it. i liked this a lot!!
June 16, 2018
A spunky in-between series. Lighthearted and funny.
April 30, 2025
I really love this book! My mom says it is a book series of 8. I really wish there were more than 8. It is so funny.
May 3, 2018
Such fun! A great girl power book with unique characters. The illustrations add emotion and fun.
August 21, 2023
We cannot wait to read the next book!!! My daughter loves when the princess is the hero in a story and who doesn't love a dragon who makes grilled cheese?!
September 30, 2023
Cute story and my second graders loved it and had many laughs!
October 2, 2018
I like this book because the princess found friends on the way, just like The Fool [of the World and the Flying Ship], because these are both adventurous books. First up, she tries to become a knight, but her papa won't let her, and then she does a funny face. And when she did this goofy face, her papa let her. And he gives her a chore to do: seven good deeds!
And when she got there it was almost night and it was dangerous to get out of the tower where she was trapped because the ogre trapped her. The next morning was when the knight came and the dragon; the ogre gave her weird breakfast: it was sweat and armpit something. And then she didn't eat it and the dragon liked it. And then the dragon made something for her that was the best kind of sandwich she ever had: [spoiler alert] grilled cheese. The dragon burped and they sledded down the mount, and the ogre got bonked on the head by the treasure, but it wasn't treasure, it was just junk: trash treasure! The princess found the queen's jewels and then she returned them to the queen.
And when she got there it was almost night and it was dangerous to get out of the tower where she was trapped because the ogre trapped her. The next morning was when the knight came and the dragon; the ogre gave her weird breakfast: it was sweat and armpit something. And then she didn't eat it and the dragon liked it. And then the dragon made something for her that was the best kind of sandwich she ever had: [spoiler alert] grilled cheese. The dragon burped and they sledded down the mount, and the ogre got bonked on the head by the treasure, but it wasn't treasure, it was just junk: trash treasure! The princess found the queen's jewels and then she returned them to the queen.
August 16, 2020
I was excited for this one because I sure do love grilled cheese AND dragons! Instead, I found the characters one-dimensional and boring, the story bland, and the artwork meh; as a reader, I find it frustrating and cheap when the author gives no clues as to how the action will resolve before the main character suddenly finds inspiration and relies on a skillset we didn't know they had or . It also irrationally annoys me that Princess Pulverizer gets to be the only "cute" character-- everyone else is drawn kind of grotesquely with exaggerated features but she gets the Disney princess treatment of wide eyes and conventional beauty.
It's a simple beginning chapter book and I'm assuming more character development happens as the series goes on but man, I really feel like kids deserve smarter and more compelling stories. I'm sure they'll like this series though, especially the style of humor!
It's a simple beginning chapter book and I'm assuming more character development happens as the series goes on but man, I really feel like kids deserve smarter and more compelling stories. I'm sure they'll like this series though, especially the style of humor!
January 25, 2018
Another fun series from the author of Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo.
March 11, 2021
Super cute young middle grade adventure that is all about girl power!
October 9, 2018
Meet Princess Serena, or no, I should say, Princess Pulverizer!
This is a girl who wants to be a knight. Yup, she is currently at princessschool but that just isn't the place for her. Curtsies? Eww! Learning how to dance? Ehhhh.
But before she can go to Knightschool, she has to go on a quest! Completing 8 kind deeds, and our first one is going to be getting back those gems from a big bad ogre. I had lots of fun seeing her try to get those gems back, from singing (no, not the good way) to get captured, to trying to get out to find those gems.
And then she meets two other characters, Lucas, who is a tiny knight and a wimp at that, and Dribble, a dragon who wants to be a chef (yes, really). I wasn't an instant fan of both of them, but as the story continued I liked them better. I am definitely curious about those grilled cheese sandwiches.
I have to say that I wasn't quite enthusiastic about our princess. I thought it was really cool that she wanted to be a knight, that she didn't want to be saved by boys or anyone, and that she could kick some serious butt. BUT. Yes, a big but. She was quite mean at times, thought she could just do anything, and when she heard she had to go on a quest of kindness she was trying to think of ways to just get out of it. She even threw a tantrum because her daddy wouldn't give her whatever she wanted. Not to mention that there are other times that I just wanted to grab her and throw her away.
But sure, as the book continued our princess learns some valuable lessons, including teamwork, grilled cheese is delicious, and how to be kinder to those around her. She is also finding out that maybe, just maybe, those few princess lessons do come in handy (especially when meeting a queen).
I was already wondering what kind of items she would receive upon doing the good deed, as she does need to show her dad something, but our first item is quite fun and probably will come in handy in the future quests.
Yes, future quests! Our girl has to do 8 kind deeds, and this book just has the first one. So I am guessing we will get 8 books in total, unless our princess does more than one.
The book is also filled with illustrations, and I just love the design of our princess, she is just as I would imagine her, tough and kick-ass.
All in all, I had fun reading this one, and I want to see more of Princess Pulverizer's quests/adventures.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This is a girl who wants to be a knight. Yup, she is currently at princessschool but that just isn't the place for her. Curtsies? Eww! Learning how to dance? Ehhhh.
But before she can go to Knightschool, she has to go on a quest! Completing 8 kind deeds, and our first one is going to be getting back those gems from a big bad ogre. I had lots of fun seeing her try to get those gems back, from singing (no, not the good way) to get captured, to trying to get out to find those gems.
And then she meets two other characters, Lucas, who is a tiny knight and a wimp at that, and Dribble, a dragon who wants to be a chef (yes, really). I wasn't an instant fan of both of them, but as the story continued I liked them better. I am definitely curious about those grilled cheese sandwiches.
I have to say that I wasn't quite enthusiastic about our princess. I thought it was really cool that she wanted to be a knight, that she didn't want to be saved by boys or anyone, and that she could kick some serious butt. BUT. Yes, a big but. She was quite mean at times, thought she could just do anything, and when she heard she had to go on a quest of kindness she was trying to think of ways to just get out of it. She even threw a tantrum because her daddy wouldn't give her whatever she wanted. Not to mention that there are other times that I just wanted to grab her and throw her away.
But sure, as the book continued our princess learns some valuable lessons, including teamwork, grilled cheese is delicious, and how to be kinder to those around her. She is also finding out that maybe, just maybe, those few princess lessons do come in handy (especially when meeting a queen).
I was already wondering what kind of items she would receive upon doing the good deed, as she does need to show her dad something, but our first item is quite fun and probably will come in handy in the future quests.
Yes, future quests! Our girl has to do 8 kind deeds, and this book just has the first one. So I am guessing we will get 8 books in total, unless our princess does more than one.
The book is also filled with illustrations, and I just love the design of our princess, she is just as I would imagine her, tough and kick-ass.
All in all, I had fun reading this one, and I want to see more of Princess Pulverizer's quests/adventures.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
January 21, 2018
@kidlitexchange #partner Thank you to @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Princess Serena is not your typical princess. She has no interest in tea parties, tiaras, or attending the Royal School of Ladylike Manners. She wants to be called Princess Pulverizer and attend Knight School. The princess convinces her father to let her go to knight school, but he will only let her do so if she learns what it really means to be a knight and go on a Quest of Kindness. She will be allowed to go to knight school if she completes 8 good deeds and shows proof for each.
While heading out on her quest, the princess hears two women talking about a queen's jewel's that have been stolen. The princess decides that recovering the jewels can be her first quest. She discovers that an ogre living up a steep, steep hill has stolen the queen's jewels. She purposely gets herself captured by the ogre so she can get the jewels back. While she is captured, a young knight and his dragon companion show up and vow to save the princess. They get captured by the ogre, too. It turns out that Lucas, the knight in training, has left knight school because he was made fun of for being so scared of everything. The dragon had left his lair because he was made fun of for not being mean. He was a grilled cheese making dragon who wanted to be a chef! Together, Princess Pulverizer, Lucas, and Dribble the dragon find a way to escape from the ogre and return the jewels to the queen. The queen gives the princess a ruby ring, and she now has proof of her first good deed!
This is an adorable transitional chapter book. My 8 year old niece really enjoyed reading it with me! There are pictures in each chapter which will keep readers interested in the story. The author's descriptions, and the contrast of the princess who wants to be a knight, and the knight who's a "scaredy-cat" keep the story fun and engaging for young readers. I highly recommend this series for children in grades 2-4.
While heading out on her quest, the princess hears two women talking about a queen's jewel's that have been stolen. The princess decides that recovering the jewels can be her first quest. She discovers that an ogre living up a steep, steep hill has stolen the queen's jewels. She purposely gets herself captured by the ogre so she can get the jewels back. While she is captured, a young knight and his dragon companion show up and vow to save the princess. They get captured by the ogre, too. It turns out that Lucas, the knight in training, has left knight school because he was made fun of for being so scared of everything. The dragon had left his lair because he was made fun of for not being mean. He was a grilled cheese making dragon who wanted to be a chef! Together, Princess Pulverizer, Lucas, and Dribble the dragon find a way to escape from the ogre and return the jewels to the queen. The queen gives the princess a ruby ring, and she now has proof of her first good deed!
This is an adorable transitional chapter book. My 8 year old niece really enjoyed reading it with me! There are pictures in each chapter which will keep readers interested in the story. The author's descriptions, and the contrast of the princess who wants to be a knight, and the knight who's a "scaredy-cat" keep the story fun and engaging for young readers. I highly recommend this series for children in grades 2-4.
January 7, 2018
Thank you @kidlitexchange for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Princess Puliverizer (aka Princess Serena) doesn't want to be a princess, she wants to be a knight. Unfortunately, she is stuck in etiquette classes and her attitude leaves something to be desired. After getting sent home from Princess School yet again, she tells her father that she wants to go to Knight School. Her father says no, but not because she is a girl but because he doesn't think she has what it takes to actually be a knight - "great honor, kindness, and sacrifice." Princess Serena only thinks of herself. So he tells her that she can go to Knight School if she completes a Quest of Kindness, performs 8 good deeds, and brings back proof of her accomplishments. Out in the real world, she struggles to find good things to actually help people.
The first half of the book struggled to get going, but once she purposely convinces an ogre to capture her so she can return jewels the ogre has stolen, the book definitely picks up. Princess Serena has to problem solve and even meets two friends - Lucas, a failed knight-in-training who is afraid of most things, and Dribble, a fire breathing dragon who likes to use his fire to cook delicious meals instead of destroying villages. Together, she realizes that there are things that she needs to learn about being a knight, including how to work as a team.
This book is definitely aimed at fans of The Princess in Black who are ready for something a bit longer. My 7 year old struggled to get into it, but I'm going to encourage her to try again to see what she thinks. I appreciated the Princess Serena is very strong and sure of herself, but that she is also learning along the way that she doesn't actually know everything and that she can't exist completely on her own.
Princess Puliverizer (aka Princess Serena) doesn't want to be a princess, she wants to be a knight. Unfortunately, she is stuck in etiquette classes and her attitude leaves something to be desired. After getting sent home from Princess School yet again, she tells her father that she wants to go to Knight School. Her father says no, but not because she is a girl but because he doesn't think she has what it takes to actually be a knight - "great honor, kindness, and sacrifice." Princess Serena only thinks of herself. So he tells her that she can go to Knight School if she completes a Quest of Kindness, performs 8 good deeds, and brings back proof of her accomplishments. Out in the real world, she struggles to find good things to actually help people.
The first half of the book struggled to get going, but once she purposely convinces an ogre to capture her so she can return jewels the ogre has stolen, the book definitely picks up. Princess Serena has to problem solve and even meets two friends - Lucas, a failed knight-in-training who is afraid of most things, and Dribble, a fire breathing dragon who likes to use his fire to cook delicious meals instead of destroying villages. Together, she realizes that there are things that she needs to learn about being a knight, including how to work as a team.
This book is definitely aimed at fans of The Princess in Black who are ready for something a bit longer. My 7 year old struggled to get into it, but I'm going to encourage her to try again to see what she thinks. I appreciated the Princess Serena is very strong and sure of herself, but that she is also learning along the way that she doesn't actually know everything and that she can't exist completely on her own.
November 6, 2018
Are you sick of stereotypical princess books? Tales where a damsel in distress needs to be saved? Stories where queens need to follow the direction of the king or the princess needs to listen to the advice of the prince? Then look no further- Princess Pulverizer, Grilled Cheese and Dragons is the series for you! Princess Serena is a girl who hates being a princess; so much so, that she changes her name to Princess Pulverizer. She despises her dance classes, tea parties and manners lessons. Instead, she wants to horseback ride and learn how to duel with swords like the knights of the kingdom. The princess pleads with her father to join the knights and he agrees, but Princess Pulverizer must do eight kind deeds first. During her quest, she meets Lucas, a knight that was kicked out of knight school, and his friendly dragon named Dribble. They work together to escape the danger of a disgusting ogre and help others in the process.
Princess Pulverizer, Grilled Cheese and Dragons modernizes the classical princess story and breaks stereotypes. It shows others how it is ok to be a princess who likes tea parties and dance lessons OR one that wants to wear chain metal and get dirty. The main character is dynamic and funny, yet is also brash and needs to learn humility in order to understand her mistakes. There are pictures throughout which aid in comprehension and shorter chapters for those new to reading chapter books. For those that would not be interested in fairy tales or princess books at all, this story is suitable for those readers too. There is humor and a variety of conflicts which keeps the reader engaged. Additionally, the first books ends with a “Too be Continued…” so children will be excited to read the second book in the series and find out how the story continues to unfold.
Princess Pulverizer, Grilled Cheese and Dragons modernizes the classical princess story and breaks stereotypes. It shows others how it is ok to be a princess who likes tea parties and dance lessons OR one that wants to wear chain metal and get dirty. The main character is dynamic and funny, yet is also brash and needs to learn humility in order to understand her mistakes. There are pictures throughout which aid in comprehension and shorter chapters for those new to reading chapter books. For those that would not be interested in fairy tales or princess books at all, this story is suitable for those readers too. There is humor and a variety of conflicts which keeps the reader engaged. Additionally, the first books ends with a “Too be Continued…” so children will be excited to read the second book in the series and find out how the story continues to unfold.
March 23, 2018
Princess Serene doesn't want to be a princess and learn how to pour tea, curtsy, and dance. She wants to be Princess Pulverizer and go to knight school. Her father says she can as long as goes on a quest to preform kind acts. As her first kind act, she tries to force an old woman to let her carry her basket of potatoes, but in the process she only ends up spilling the potatoes and the princess runs away. Next she hears about some jewels that were stolen from a nearby queen. Princess Pulverizer decides it will be a good deed to find the jewels and return them. She finds the ogre who stole the jewels, she allows herself to be captured by the ogre, who locks her up in a room full of what he calls treasure but which is actually mostly just smelly garbage and the ogre feeds her horrible gruel. Pulverizer can't figure out how to get out when a small knight and his friendly dragon appear to save her. The knight and dragon get locked up. Pulverizer is frustrated and says she will slay the dragon as another good deed, but the dragon proves that he can be useful by toasting grill cheese sandwiches for the hungry princess. The ogre smells the grilled cheeses, comes up to check on his captives, Pulverizer kicks and hits him, knocking him out. Eventually the ogre is buried in his own trash/treasures and the princess, knight and dragon slide down the pile of trash out of the castle. They ride on the dragon's back to return the jewels to a grateful queen who rewards them with a ruby ring which has magic powers. Pulverizer decides that the Knight and Dragon should join her as she continues her quest of kindness (in other books)
It is a fine little story with a spunky hero, but often relies on gross out humor and cartoon type violence to further the plot.
It is a fine little story with a spunky hero, but often relies on gross out humor and cartoon type violence to further the plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2017
Princess Pulverizer, or more commonly known as Princess Serena, longs to abandon Princess School so she can become a valiant knight. Her father insists that she may not understand what it truly takes to be a Knight and sends Princess Pulverizer off on a Quest of Kindness. She will be responsible for completing (and proving!) eight different tasks that will earn her her way into Knight School. On her journey, Princess Pulverizer encounters two companions- a cowardly knight named Lucas and a grilled cheese eating, far from ferocious, dragon named Dribble. In each book of the series, Princess Pulverizer and her sidekicks will be faced with an obstacle on their Quest of Kindness. "Grilled Cheese and Dragons" forces them to face a filthy, thieving giant. They have got have to figure out how to outsmart him so they can retrieve stolen jewels.
This book will make an excellent read for younger children (Grades 2-3) who are into fantasy, adventures, or enjoy fractured fairy tales. I can also see this being a series that will excite reluctant readers- boys and girls alike. It reminds me a bit of the Hamster Princess and Dragon Breath series by Ursula Vernon. For teachers or homeschooling parents, this series would be excellent for lessons in context clues. The vibrant vocabulary lends itself perfectly for lots of fun word work and word solving strategies. Overall, I love the message that this series sends about the importance of thinking about others. After all, a self-serving knight would be no knight at all! I am excited to seek out more valuable themes as this series continues to be released!
This book will make an excellent read for younger children (Grades 2-3) who are into fantasy, adventures, or enjoy fractured fairy tales. I can also see this being a series that will excite reluctant readers- boys and girls alike. It reminds me a bit of the Hamster Princess and Dragon Breath series by Ursula Vernon. For teachers or homeschooling parents, this series would be excellent for lessons in context clues. The vibrant vocabulary lends itself perfectly for lots of fun word work and word solving strategies. Overall, I love the message that this series sends about the importance of thinking about others. After all, a self-serving knight would be no knight at all! I am excited to seek out more valuable themes as this series continues to be released!
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